Who to start · 2025-26
Auston Matthews vs Mika Zibanejad
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Auston Matthews projects to 2.31 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mika Zibanejad's 2.27.
Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Zibanejad had 78 in 81 games.
This week Matthews has 1 game left; Zibanejad has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Matthews for 2.7 ESPN points to Zibanejad's 1.4.
Mika Zibanejad has the better number in 23 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Matthews's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 2.09, Plus/minus −4, Draw Equity /100 +0.103.
Zibanejad's biggest edges: Goals above expected +5.8, Luck Meter +47, Hits 105.
Head to head on the dot, Matthews leads Zibanejad 84–54.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 6 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Auston Matthews
2.31
fantasy points per game
Mika Zibanejad
2.27
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Auston Matthews has the edge.
| Points per game from | Matthews | Zibanejad |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.79 | 0.81 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.38 | 0.51 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.09 | 0.21 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.36 | 0.25 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.07 | 0.14 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.63 | 0.34 |
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 Zibanejad
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.
Matthews 11G 12A, 89 SOG · Zibanejad 10G 12A, 58 SOG
Matthews's offensive zone 29–14 · neutral 34–27 · Matthews's defensive zone 21–13 (2017-18 to 2025-26)
Matthews blocked 4 of Zibanejad's shots; Zibanejad blocked 1 of Matthews's.
On the ice against each other (Matthews's side)
20:58 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Matthews's side
- Shot attempts
- 22–19
- 53.7%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.9
- 50.1%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Matthews | Zibanejad |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-05 | TOR 2–6 NYR | 0G 0A 4S | 1G 2A 2S |
| 2025-10-16 | TOR 2–1 NYR | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-03-20 | TOR 4–3 NYR | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-02-28 | TOR 3–2 NYR | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2024-10-19 | TOR 1–4 NYR | 1G 0A 9S | 0G 2A 2S |
| 2024-03-02 | TOR 4–3 NYR | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-12-19 | TOR 2–5 NYR | 2G 0A 5S | 2G 0A 4S |
| 2023-12-12 | TOR 7–3 NYR | 2G 2A 3S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2023-04-13 | TOR 3–2 NYR | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2023-01-25 | TOR 3–2 NYR | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2022-12-15 | TOR 1–3 NYR | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-01-19 | TOR 3–6 NYR | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 2A 0S |
Latest 12 of 23 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 14th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
- Wed, Sep 30 vs NYIB2BOpp allows 15th-most FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs OTT2.7 ptsvs Linus Ullmark (.891)
Mika Zibanejad
4games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 @ BOSOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
- Thu, Oct 1 vs TBLOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Fri, Oct 2 @ DETB2BOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs John Gibson (.901)
- Sun, Oct 4 vs UTA1.4 ptsOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Auston Matthews or Mika Zibanejad 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 Mika Zibanejad's 2.27. Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Zibanejad had 78 in 81 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 Mika Zibanejad?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Mika Zibanejad leads in 23 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Matthews and Zibanejad done against each other?
- In 23 games against each other in our data, Matthews's team went 13–10. Matthews had 23 points (11 goals) and Zibanejad had 22 (10 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Matthews or Zibanejad?
- Against each other, Matthews has won 84 and Zibanejad 54 of their 138 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 →