NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Player Pickups Oct. 4 - Bullish On Sabres

Quick, before everyone else in your fantasy league notices!

While the first games in North America don't start until next Tuesday, Oct. 8 when the defending champion Florida Panthers raise the banner in their season opener, note the 2024-25 season officially begins Friday, Oct. 4 with the Devils playing the Sabres in Czechia.

The Sabres will be the designated home team in their back-to-back series with puck drop set for 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. Don't forget to set your rosters early!

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Related: 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey H2H Week 1 Primer: The Best Time For Pickups

Friday, Oct. 4. 

* = confirmed or probable

Jacob Markstrom, NJ at Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, BUF* (1 p.m. ET)

Waiver Wire Pickups

Bowen Byram, D, BUF vs. NJ (46% rostered)

Among defensemen, Byram's really the only option. He's set to begin the season on the second pairing with Owen Power, and both of them will also play together on PP2. For a defenseman who's scored double-digit goals in two straight seasons, Byram actually doesn't shoot the puck a whole lot.

But Power's the more steady, defensive type, which will give Byram the green light to jump up on the play. Byram's also good for hits and blocks (around 100 each over a full season) so you're not stuck just hoping for points.

Dylan Cozens, C, BUF vs. NJ (41% rostered)
Jack Quinn, RW, BUF vs. NJ (22% rostered)
Zach Benson, LW, BUF vs. NJ (9% rostered)

Cozens will center Quinn and Benson on the Sabres' high-upside second scoring line behind Tage Thompson. Cozens scored just 18 goals last season on a lower-than-expected 9.0 shooting percentage, and with 100-plus hits and 500-plus faceoff wins, he's a multi-category contributor.

If you're looking for pure points, Quinn is a great option. He's recovering from injury after playing just 27 games last season, though he still managed to score 19 points. Both Quinn and Benson are breakout candidates, but I'm leaning toward Quinn since he'll play PP1 while Cozens and Benson will play PP2. I think Quinn has the potential to be a season-long hold.

Related: 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Team Preview: Buffalo Sabres

Jason Zucker, LW, BUF vs. NJ (5% rostered)

I'm not sure how much ice time Zucker will get on the third line, but he's very useful if you're looking for hits and some offensive pop. His line with Ryan McLeod and the hulking Jordan Greenway will have a distinct size advantage over the Devils' third line of Palat-Haula-Noesen, and a much-improved bottom six is one reason why the Sabres should be a much tougher club to play against this season.

Zucker will be the main shooter on his line though he's not expected to play any power play since the Sabres are chock-full of young scorers.

Tomas Tatar, LW, NJ at BUF (2% rostered)

Tatar will be a desperation play in deep leagues. He's slated to open the season as the left winger on Nico Hischier's line opposite Dawson Mercer, and he will also feature on PP2, though I'm not sure how often the second unit will see the ice.

Tatar, who scored 35 goals and 78 points with the Devils across two seasons from 2021-23, has regressed significantly since then. He scored just nine goals and 24 points in 70 games last season split between the Avs and Kraken. Maybe re-joining the Devils can ignite his offensive game, but I wouldn't hold my breath.