Daily FanDuel Fantasy Hockey Picks: October 7, 2015

We’re finally back! After a long off-season, the NHL returns with four games, including the Cup champion Blackhawks raising yet another banner. We'll go through an analysis of each game, recommended our top FanDuel picks (and value plays), and look at some sample lineups to get your motor started.

If you’re new to NHL DFS, here’s a few quick key things to keep in mind as you get in to the season:

1. Picking your goalie is key. Like a pitcher in MLB DFS, a goalie gets bonus points for a win. It’s possible to still have a good team with a goalie that gets plenty of saves but no win, but that win is huge.

2. Stacking lines for GPP’s. Stacking is very important in hockey, as it’s rare for many unassisted goals to take place. A goal scorer is likely to get assists from his linemates or puck moving defenseman, so pairing a good defenseman with a line can really be beneficial (especially with plus/minus counting on FanDuel). If you don’t like the lines a certain player plays on, you can stack his power play unit to diversify some too.

3. Don’t get discouraged. It’s a long season and the best goal scorers score on less than 15% of their shots, so you perfect lineup could be a dud one night and go off the next. Trust your research and follow eDraft, and you’ll work the grind through the winter.

I am very clearly biased, but NHL DFS is by far the most exciting DFS sport. Of course, please don’t hesitate to drop a comment or message me on Twitter if you’ve got question on game days. It’s going to be a fun season (or, at least that’s what I say until I don’t cash the first night). Anywho, on to the games.