Who to start · 2025-26
Ben Meyers vs Nic Dowd
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ben Meyers projects to 1.03 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84.
Meyers had 15 points in 52 games; Dowd had 21 in 75 games.
This week Meyers has 2 games left; Dowd has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Meyers for 1.8 to Dowd's 1.8 over the games left.
Nic Dowd has the better number in 18 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Meyers's biggest edges: Forecheck xG /60 0.39, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.29, Hardest shot 89.6.
Dowd's biggest edges: Blocked shots 50, Penalty minutes 73, Corsi 49.2%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Ben Meyers rates ahead, -1.5 to -3.9 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Meyers is steady, +1:23 5v5 TOI; Dowd is steady, ixG/60 0.05 (was 0.46).
- • Meyers has played 8 of the Kraken's 9 games since Oct 3 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Meyers, 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 8 SOG.
- • Dowd, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
- • Dowd, last 10 games (Oct 2–Oct 20): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Ben Meyers
-1.5
category z-score total
Nic Dowd
-3.9
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Ben Meyers has the edge (Meyers wins 4, Dowd wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | Meyers | Dowd |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.13 | 0.04 |
| Assists / game | 0.27 | 0.20 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.07 | -0.15 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.11 | 0.66 |
| Hits / game | 1.44 | 1.81 |
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: Meyers vs Dowd
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Meyers 0G 1A, 1 SOG · Dowd 1G 2A, 3 SOG
Meyers's offensive zone 0–2 · neutral 1–0 · Meyers's defensive zone 0–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Meyers's side)
9:33 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Meyers's side
- Shot attempts
- 12–10
- 54.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.2
- 72.9%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Meyers | Dowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 | SEA 2–6 VGK | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-04-15 | SEA 1–4 VGK | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2025-10-21 | SEA 1–4 WSH | 0G 1A 0S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2022-04-18 | COL 2–3 WSH | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Meyers vs Dowd
Model: Ben Meyers wins 51.3% of draws against Nic Dowd on average (L shot vs R shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Meyers at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 53% | 48% | 55% | 49% | 52% | 55% | 49% | 56% | 50% |
| Road | 52% | 47% | 53% | 48% | 51% | 53% | 48% | 54% | 49% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Meyers 1–2 (33.3%). Blended with the model: 51.2%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.6); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
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
Ben Meyers
3games (2 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs DETOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Daniil Tarasov (.895)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs UTA0.9 ptsOpp allows 15th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs MIN0.9 ptsOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
Nic Dowd
3games (2 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs TBLOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ STL0.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ CBJ0.9 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to CLikely vs Jet Greaves (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Ben Meyers or Nic Dowd in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Ben Meyers projects to 1.03 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84. Meyers had 15 points in 52 games; Dowd had 21 in 75 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, Ben Meyers or Nic Dowd?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nic Dowd leads in 18 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Meyers and Dowd done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Meyers's team went 0–4. Meyers had 1 points (0 goals) and Dowd had 3 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Meyers or Dowd?
- Against each other, Meyers has won 1 and Dowd 2 of their 3 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 →