Who to start · 2025-26
Auston Matthews vs Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Auston Matthews projects to 2.31 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's 1.70.
Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Nugent-Hopkins had 56 in 72 games.
This week Matthews has 1 game left; Nugent-Hopkins has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Matthews for 2.7 ESPN points to Nugent-Hopkins's 1.1.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has the better number in 20 of the 35 stats both are ranked on.
Matthews's biggest edges: Faceoff win % 59.7%, Draw Equity /100 +0.103, On-ice PDO 1016.
Nugent-Hopkins's biggest edges: Goals above expected +2.6, Offensive-zone time 46.0%, Top skating speed 22.8.
Head to head on the dot, Matthews leads Nugent-Hopkins 16–9.
- • 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
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
1.70
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Auston Matthews has the edge.
| Points per game from | Matthews | Nugent-Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.90 | 0.56 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.43 | 0.50 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.10 | 0.20 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.38 | 0.18 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.07 | 0.03 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.68 | 0.22 |
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 Nugent-Hopkins
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 12G 10A, 77 SOG · Nugent-Hopkins 3G 8A, 28 SOG
Matthews's offensive zone 3–5 · neutral 8–3 · Matthews's defensive zone 5–1 (2017-18 to 2024-25)
Matthews blocked 2 of Nugent-Hopkins's shots; Nugent-Hopkins blocked 1 of Matthews's.
On the ice against each other (Matthews's side)
17:54 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Matthews's side
- Shot attempts
- 14–19
- 42.4%
- Expected goals
- 1.2–0.9
- 56.2%
- Goals
- 1–2
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Matthews | Nugent-Hopkins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-03 | TOR 5–2 EDM | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-12-13 | TOR 3–6 EDM | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-02-01 | TOR 4–3 EDM | 0G 2A 7S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-03-23 | TOR 6–3 EDM | 1G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-01-16 | TOR 2–4 EDM | 1G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-03-11 | TOR 7–4 EDM | 1G 1A 8S | 0G 2A 1S |
| 2023-03-01 | TOR 2–5 EDM | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2021-12-14 | TOR 5–1 EDM | 2G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-03-29 | TOR 2–3 EDM | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2021-03-27 | TOR 4–3 EDM | 1G 1A 7S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-03-03 | TOR 6–1 EDM | 0G 0A 7S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2021-01-30 | TOR 3–4 EDM | 1G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 3S |
Latest 12 of 19 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)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
3games (1 left)
1.1proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs VANOpp allows 6th-most FP to CLikely vs Kevin Lankinen (.875)
- Thu, Oct 1 @ VANOpp allows 6th-most FP to CLikely vs Kevin Lankinen (.875)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs SEA1.1 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Joey Daccord (.897)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Auston Matthews or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 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 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's 1.70. Matthews had 53 points in 60 games; Nugent-Hopkins had 56 in 72 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 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leads in 20 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 Nugent-Hopkins done against each other?
- In 19 games against each other in our data, Matthews's team went 12–7. Matthews had 22 points (12 goals) and Nugent-Hopkins had 11 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Matthews or Nugent-Hopkins?
- Against each other, Matthews has won 16 and Nugent-Hopkins 9 of their 25 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 →