Who to start · 2025-26
Auston Matthews vs Dylan Cozens
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Auston Matthews projects to 2.31 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dylan Cozens's 1.90.
Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Cozens had 59 in 82 games.
This week Matthews has 1 game left; Cozens has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Matthews for 2.7 ESPN points to Cozens's 1.4.
Dylan Cozens has the better number in 21 of the 35 stats both are ranked on.
Matthews's biggest edges: Blocked shots 81, On-ice PDO 1016, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.22.
Cozens's biggest edges: Goals above expected +2.0, Corsi 56.8%, Fenwick 57.3%.
Head to head on the dot, Matthews leads Cozens 32–30.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Auston Matthews
2.56
fantasy points per game
Dylan Cozens
1.90
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Auston Matthews has the edge.
| Points per game from | Matthews | Cozens |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.90 | 0.68 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.43 | 0.38 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.10 | 0.18 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.38 | 0.25 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.07 | 0.26 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.68 | 0.15 |
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: Matthews vs Cozens
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Matthews 10G 13A, 77 SOG · Cozens 4G 9A, 43 SOG
Matthews's offensive zone 11–12 · neutral 13–7 · Matthews's defensive zone 8–11 (2021-22 to 2025-26)
Matthews blocked 1 of Cozens's shots; Cozens blocked 1 of Matthews's.
On the ice against each other (Matthews's side)
4:23 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Matthews's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–3
- 66.7%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.0
- 88.3%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Matthews | Cozens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-28 | TOR 2–5 OTT | 0G 1A 2S | 2G 1A 4S |
| 2025-12-27 | TOR 7–5 OTT | 1G 2A 9S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2025-05-01 · PO | TOR 4–2 OTT | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-29 · PO | TOR 0–4 OTT | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-26 · PO | TOR 3–4 OTT | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-24 · PO | TOR 3–2 OTT | 1G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-04-22 · PO | TOR 3–2 OTT | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2025-04-20 · PO | TOR 6–2 OTT | 0G 2A 6S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-03-15 | TOR 2–4 OTT | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-12-20 | TOR 6–3 BUF | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-12-15 | TOR 5–3 BUF | 0G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-03-30 | TOR 3–0 BUF | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 4S |
Latest 12 of 21 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.
Auston Matthews
3games (1 left)
2.7proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs MTLOpp allows 12th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
- Wed, Sep 30 vs NYIB2BOpp allows 13th-most FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs OTT2.7 ptsLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.891)
Dylan Cozens
1games
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Sat, Oct 3 @ TOR1.4 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Auston Matthews or Dylan Cozens in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Auston Matthews projects to 2.31 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dylan Cozens's 1.90. Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Cozens had 59 in 82 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, Auston Matthews or Dylan Cozens?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Dylan Cozens leads in 21 of 35 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Matthews and Cozens done against each other?
- In 21 games against each other in our data, Matthews's team went 12–9. Matthews had 23 points (10 goals) and Cozens had 13 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Matthews or Cozens?
- Against each other, Matthews has won 32 and Cozens 30 of their 62 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 →