NHL Fantasy Hockey Waiver Wire Pickups: Devils, Ducks, and Sabres Forwards Offer Prime Line Stack Opportunities for December 3

As December rolls on, the NHL season is heating up, and fantasy hockey managers are looking for any edge they can get to stay competitive. If you're scouring the

waiver wire for valuable pickups, look no further than forwards from the New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks, and Buffalo Sabres. These teams have players who are producing at a high level and offer

prime line stack opportunities—especially against struggling defenses. Here’s who to target this week:

Dawson Mercer (C/RW), New Jersey Devils

Rostered in 59% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $5,800
Next Game: vs. Dallas (DAL)

Mercer is on a three-game point streak, playing as the Devils’ second-line center. Even with a tough matchup against Jake Oettinger, Mercer provides high value, especially since he also plays on

PP1. With over two shots per game on average, he has a solid floor and can be a reliable option in standard leagues and DFS formats. Add him for his consistency and the opportunity to stack him with other Devils players.

Arseny Gritsyuk (LW/RW), New Jersey Devils

Rostered in 3% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $4,700
Next Game: vs. Dallas (DAL)

Gritsyuk has been a sleeper in the Devils’ lineup with

three points in his last three games. While his ice time is limited, he has shown enough to be a solid pick, especially considering his high shot volume. If you're looking to stack

Devils forwards, Gritsyuk is a low-risk, high-reward pick. He’s perfect for those looking for an affordable DFS option.

Chris Kreider (LW), Anaheim Ducks

Rostered in 45% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $6,200
Next Game: vs. Utah (UTA)

The Ducks are on fire, and Kreider has been a big part of it, posting a four-game point streak. With the

Utah Mammoths struggling with eight losses in their last ten games, this is an excellent opportunity to target Ducks forwards. Kreider plays a bigger role on the team, averaging more ice time
and scoring more goals than teammate Beckett Sennecke (who’s on an eight-game point streak). Kreider provides both goal-scoring upside and consistent production—he’s a must-add for this week.

Beckett Sennecke (RW), Anaheim Ducks

Rostered in 31% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $5,200
Next Game: vs. Utah (UTA)

Sennecke has been one of the Ducks’ hottest players, with a season-long point streak of

eight games. With the Mammoths’ defense in freefall, this is a great chance to capitalize on Sennecke’s scoring ability. His consistency makes him a strong DFS option, especially in this favorable matchup. Don’t overlook his potential to deliver value, as his recent production is a strong indicator of future success.

Josh Norris (C), Buffalo Sabres

Rostered in 25% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $3,500
Next Game: at Philadelphia (PHI)

After a rocky season, Norris is back to form. In his

return game, he scored two goals and registered three points against the Winnipeg Jets, showing that he can still be an impact player when healthy. If Amon-Ra St. Brown
remains out, the Sabres could rely on Norris and Zach Benson (who plays on PP1) to help produce. With a cheap price tag and the chance to stack Sabres forwards
, Norris is an excellent value pick.

Zach Benson (LW), Buffalo Sabres

Rostered in 9% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $5,300
Next Game: at Philadelphia (PHI)

Benson has looked solid

alongside Norris in recent games, and his spot on the power play boosts his fantasy value. He’s also part of the Sabres' road success, with six wins in their last nine games. The

Flyers' defense has been leaking goals, making Benson a great target for waiver wire pickups.

Jamie Benn (C/LW), Dallas Stars

Rostered in 25% of Yahoo Leagues
FanDuel Price: $5,100
Next Game: at New Jersey (NJ)

With Tyler Seguin’s injury, Jamie Benn is likely to see increased minutes. He was recently paired with Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz, which helped boost his ice time and

scoring opportunities. Benn is now in a prime position to capitalize on Seguin's absence and could be a key contributor for Dallas. Despite recent setbacks, Benn’s line with Robertson and Hintz offers serious upside.

Troy Stecher reflects on 1st goal with Leafs following win vs. Panthers: ‘It feels nice when you get one’

The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a convincing 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Propelled by depth contributions, the team now has their first back-to-back victories since the start of November.

Claimed off waivers in mid-November, Troy Stecher scored his first goal with the Leafs on Tuesday, adding an assist for his first multi-point game since March 2023. The team now boasts a winning record when Stecher dresses, and the 31-year-old shared what he liked about how Toronto played in the win.

“We didn’t really give them much,” Stecher said post-game. “It felt like in the second period we really tilted the ice in our favour. It felt like a complete game from all 20 guys who were playing tonight.”

Stecher opened the scoring for Toronto in the first period with a clean wrist shot from the point that beat Sergei Bobrovsky. It’s the third consecutive game when a Maple Leafs blueliner opened the scoring, with Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson doing so in the previous two contests.

Stecher is hardly known as a goalscorer. His last tuck came in December 2024, and he has a career high of five goals in a season. Considering this, Stecher spoke about how good it felt to come up with an important one for the Leafs so early in his time with the team.

“It’s great,” Stecher said. “Don’t do it often, so it feels nice when you get one. It’s nice to contribute, big goal at that moment obviously, gave us the lead and we never looked back.”

Stecher shared that he had told Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson before the game he was gonna score one, but added that he tells someone that every night just in case it happens.

“Fake it ’till you make it kind of thing,” he said. “Give me the puck, I’m gonna score, then most often it’s on the glass and out. So it feels good to score tonight.”

While Stecher is joking around a bit with media, it’s refreshing to see that kind of confidence and drive in the Leafs locker room, which has seemed (understandably) down as of late. As Stecher has begun to take on a bigger role with the team, they now have wins in three of their last four games, and he’s currently riding a three-game point streak. Not bad for an early season waiver claim.

Stecher and the Maple Leafs will now look to keep that swagger going as they wrap up their road trip on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

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