Who to start · 2025-26
Anthony Mantha vs Sidney Crosby
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Anthony Mantha's 1.67.
Mantha had 64 points in 81 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 games.
This week Mantha has 1 game left; Crosby has 1 left. We project Crosby for 2.0 ESPN points to Mantha's 1.4.
Sidney Crosby has the better number in 22 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Mantha's biggest edges: Plus/minus +10, Blocked shots 40, Hardest shot 96.0.
Crosby's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 773, Forecheck xG /60 0.34, Turnover Ledger /60 −0.034.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 1 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Anthony Mantha
1.67
fantasy points per game
Sidney Crosby
2.18
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Sidney Crosby has the edge.
| Points per game from | Mantha | Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.76 | 0.80 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.36 | 0.68 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.08 | 0.16 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.18 | 0.24 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.06 | 0.10 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.23 | 0.21 |
Per-game rates from the selected sample; blended mixes last season with this season, weighting this season more as games are played. Categories are scored as z-scores against qualified players at the same position. Your custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Mantha vs Crosby
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Mantha 2G 1A, 33 SOG · Crosby 7G 9A, 46 SOG
Mantha's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Mantha's defensive zone 0–1 (2018-19)
Mantha blocked 0 of Crosby's shots; Crosby blocked 1 of Mantha's.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice together
58:09 at 5-on-5 over 22 games, 2025-26
- Shot attempts
- 50–57
- 46.7%
- Expected goals
- 1.7–4.4
- 28.1%
- Goals
- 2–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Mantha | Crosby |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-22 | CGY 4–3 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 5S |
| 2024-01-02 | WSH 4–3 PIT | 0G 1A 1S | 1G 1A 1S |
| 2023-10-13 | WSH 0–4 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 2G 0A 5S |
| 2023-03-25 | WSH 3–4 PIT | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2023-01-26 | WSH 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 5S |
| 2022-11-09 | WSH 1–4 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2022-04-09 | WSH 6–3 PIT | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2021-05-01 | WSH 0–3 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-04-29 | WSH 4–5 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2020-02-16 | DET 1–5 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 1A 4S |
| 2019-04-04 | DET 1–4 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 2A 5S |
| 2019-04-02 | DET 4–1 PIT | 2G 0A 6S | 0G 1A 1S |
Latest 12 of 14 meetings.
Every stat, side by side
Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.
Fantasy box score
Possession & shot quality (5-on-5 on-ice)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Sep 28 to Oct 4. More games usually wins a weekly start/sit. Chips show how many fantasy points the opponent allows to the player's position (soft or tough), the Schedule Edge from rest and travel, and the likely opposing goalie with his save percentage. Projections use ESPN default points for the games left.
Anthony Mantha
2games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Thu, Oct 1 vs PHIOpp allows 5th-most FP to RWSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Sat, Oct 3 @ NYI1.4 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −4.0 win%vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
Sidney Crosby
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ PHIOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Dan Vladar (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs MTL2.0 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to Cvs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Anthony Mantha or Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Anthony Mantha's 1.67. Mantha had 64 points in 81 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
- Who is better, Anthony Mantha or Sidney Crosby?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Sidney Crosby leads in 22 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Mantha and Crosby done against each other?
- In 14 games against each other in our data, Mantha's team went 6–8. Mantha had 3 points (2 goals) and Crosby had 16 (7 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Mantha or Crosby?
- Against each other, Mantha has won 0 and Crosby 2 of their 2 head-to-head draws.
2025-26 regular season from NHL play-by-play, shift charts and NHL EDGE, processed by Edgehalla. Head-to-head covers every loaded season (play-by-play from 2019-20; on-ice matchups from 2025-26).Compare other players →