Who to start · 2025-26
Beck Malenstyn vs Connor McDavid
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Beck Malenstyn's 1.13.
Malenstyn had 14 points in 81 games; McDavid had 138 in 82 games.
This week Malenstyn has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; McDavid has 2 left with 2 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project McDavid for 6.1 to Malenstyn's 2.2 over the games left.
Connor McDavid has the better number in 29 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Malenstyn's biggest edges: Hits 282, Blocked shots 75, Hardest shot 86.5.
McDavid's biggest edges: Power-play share 88.5%, Power-play time per game 3:35, Ice-time share 37.9%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Connor McDavid rates ahead, +21.0 to -1.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Malenstyn is steady, −1:11 5v5 TOI; McDavid is rising, 14 P in last 5 (2.00/GP before).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 2 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 20 A, 8 PPP, 22 SOG.
Buffalo Sabres · Edmonton Oilers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Beck Malenstyn
-1.6
category z-score total
Connor McDavid
+21.0
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Connor McDavid has the edge (Malenstyn wins 1, McDavid wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Malenstyn | McDavid |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.05 | 0.62 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 1.52 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.08 | 0.84 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.74 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.64 | 3.25 |
| Hits / game | 3.80 | 0.85 |
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 scoring choice is shared with Who Should I Start: saved on this device, and on your account when you are signed in.
Head-to-head: Malenstyn vs McDavid
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Malenstyn 1G 0A, 5 SOG · McDavid 3G 7A, 13 SOG
On the ice against each other (Malenstyn's side)
6:58 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Malenstyn's side
- Shot attempts
- 4–8
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.2
- 50.8%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Malenstyn | McDavid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-09 | BUF 4–3 EDM | 0G 0A 0S | 2G 0A 6S |
| 2025-11-17 | BUF 5–1 EDM | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-03-10 | BUF 3–2 EDM | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-03-13 | WSH 2–7 EDM | 0G 0A 0S | 1G 2A 2S |
| 2023-11-24 | WSH 0–5 EDM | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 4A 2S |
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
Oct 19 to Oct 25. 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 cover the games left: Edgehalla's rest-of-season rates per game, adjusted for each opponent's scoring allowed, in ESPN default points.
Scored in ESPN default points (G 2, A 1, PPP 0.5, SHP 0.5, SOG 0.1, HIT 0.1, BLK 0.5). Use your league's scoring
Beck Malenstyn
2games
2.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.1 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH1.1 ptsOpp allows 16th-most FP to LWLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Connor McDavid
3games (2 left)
6.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs MINOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs CAR2.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs TOR3.2 ptsOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Beck Malenstyn or Connor McDavid in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Beck Malenstyn's 1.13. Malenstyn had 14 points in 81 games; McDavid had 138 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, Beck Malenstyn or Connor McDavid?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Connor McDavid leads in 29 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Malenstyn and McDavid done against each other?
- In 5 games against each other in our data, Malenstyn's team went 3–2. Malenstyn had 1 points (1 goals) and McDavid had 10 (3 goals).
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 →