Hunter Skoczylas gives his top studs and value plays for Thursday’s 14-game fantasy hockey slate on DraftKings.

Following two small slates on Tuesday and Wednesday, the NHL is back with a 14-game slate on Thursday. It’s a new season, and what better way to get back into the groove of things than playing fantasy hockey on DraftKings? 

Let’s dive into my favorite NHL DFS targets and values for tonight’s slate.

Make your DraftKings NHL DFS picks here: NHL $100K Overload [$20K to 1st]

Forwards

Stud

Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres vs. New York Rangers, $7,200 – There are plenty of options worth paying up for, but it feels right to take advantage of Tage Thompson’s affordable price tag in Buffalo’s home-opener. Thompson averaged 13.3 DraftKings FPTS and was tied for the third-most goals (44) league-wide in 2024. He returns in 2025 as the Sabres’ primary offensive threat and arguably most talented player aside from Rasmus Dahlin ($6,600), with even more of the workload on his shoulders, as JJ Peterka left via trade in the offseason, Buffalo’s second-highest point-getter last season. The 27-year-old winger has netted four goals in his past three meetings against the Rangers, and was a cash cow at home in 2024, scoring a goal in 54% of his home games.

Value

Nikolaj Ehlers, Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils, $5,500 – After spending the first 10 seasons of his career with Winnipeg, Nikolaj Ehlers finds himself rocking a Hurricanes sweater entering the new season. His seasons were a bit up and down, but he posted his second-best season in 2024 with 63 points and will immediately slot into a top-six role with Carolina. In fact, Ehlers is expected to share the first line with both Sebastian Aho ($5,900) and Seth Jarvis ($6,200), as well as the first powerplay unit. What I’m getting at is he will see plenty of opportunities and plays for an incredibly deep squad that can likely hide his weaknesses while supporting his strengths. Ehlers ranked second on the Jets in points per 60 last season.

Other Targets, Values – Martin Necas ($6,500), Roope Hintz ($5,400), Logan Stankoven ($4,900)

Defensemen

Stud

Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres vs. New York Rangers, $6,600 – If you’re playing Tage Thompson, you should strongly consider stacking him with Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo’s best player. Much like Thompson, Dahlin has found a ton of success against the Rangers in the past, having totaled seven points across the last four meetings against them. The Swedish defenseman averaged 12.6 DraftKings FPTS and was tied for the seventh-most assists among defensemen last season. Buffalo’s defensive depth figures to be a bit better this season, too, which should help Dahlin even more. His 68-point season in 2024 was the second-best season of his career, and the Sabres are looking to get over the hump and make the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons, all with Dahlin leading the way.

Value

Devon Toews, Colorado Avalanche vs. Utah Mammoth, $4,700 – When looking for value at the defenseman position, I tend to gravitate toward the ones that either play alongside an elite defenseman or have forwards that produce often. It turns out that Devon Toews qualifies for both, and he carries just a $4,700 price tag, making it easier to slot him into your lineups, especially if you’re running an Avalanche stack. Toews’ stats don’t fly off the page, as he averaged just 8.5 DraftKings FPTS per game in 2024, but what matters is that he is on the ice often and has opportunities to block shots and pick up assists. The 31-year-old was invisible in Colorado’s season opener, but he shares a line with Cale Makar ($7,600) and logged the second-most ice time per game in 2024. He has also recorded four points in his past six meetings against Utah.

Other Targets, Values – Jamie Drysdale ($4,700), Alexander Romanov ($4,400), Gustav Forsling ($4,200)

Goaltenders

Stud

Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Ottawa Senators, ($8,200) – Entering his 11th season at 31 years old, Andrei Vasilevskiy remains one of the best goaltenders in the league. His price tag is steep, but it isn’t the highest on the slate, and he is coming off a stellar bounce-back season. Vasilevskiy averaged 13.9 DraftKings FPTS in 2024 and posted a .921 save percentage and career-best 2.18 GAA. He ranked second behind only Connor Hellebuyck ($7,600) in goals saved above expected and draws a matchup against a Senators squad that ranked in the bottom 10 in 5v5 goals above expected last season.

Value

Jet Greaves, Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators, $7,500 – Although not officially confirmed by the team itself, Jet Greaves is expected to start between the pipes for Columbus tonight. Greaves started just 11 games in 2024, but posted a 7-2-2 record in those games to go along with a .938 save percentage and 1.91 GAA. It’s a small sample size, but those numbers are screaming at me through the screen right now. The 24-year-old was so good across those 11 games that he ranked first in save percentage above expected among goaltenders with at least 10 starts. His matchup shouldn’t be too difficult, either, as the Predators ranked second-to-last in goals per game and dead-last in 5v5 goal percentage in 2024.

Other Targets, Values – Lukas Dostal ($7,400), Jakub Dobes ($7,300)