Who to start · 2025-26
Brad Marchand vs Sidney Crosby
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Brad Marchand projects to 2.26 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Sidney Crosby's 2.18.
Marchand had 54 points in 52 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 games.
This week Marchand has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Crosby has 1 left. We project Crosby for 2.0 ESPN points to Marchand's 1.8.
Sidney Crosby has the better number in 25 of the 33 stats both are ranked on.
Marchand's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.33, Transition attempts /60 1.94, Shorthanded points 1.
Crosby's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 773, Plus/minus 0, Hardest shot 89.6.
Head to head on the dot, Crosby leads Marchand 11–3.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Brad Marchand
2.26
fantasy points per game
Sidney Crosby
2.23
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Brad Marchand has the edge.
| Points per game from | Marchand | Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 1.04 | 0.85 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.52 | 0.66 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.20 | 0.17 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.27 | 0.24 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.07 | 0.09 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.15 | 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: Marchand vs Crosby
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.
Marchand 17G 16A, 102 SOG · Crosby 8G 23A, 70 SOG
Marchand's offensive zone 1–7 · neutral 1–1 · Marchand's defensive zone 1–3 (2017-18 to 2021-22)
Marchand blocked 1 of Crosby's shots; Crosby blocked 1 of Marchand's.
On the ice against each other (Marchand's side)
10:42 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Marchand's side
- Shot attempts
- 16–9
- 64.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.2
- 84.9%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Marchand | Crosby |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-23 | FLA 3–5 PIT | 2G 0A 7S | 2G 1A 2S |
| 2025-03-01 | BOS 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-11-29 | BOS 1–2 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2024-04-13 | BOS 6–4 PIT | 1G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2024-03-09 | BOS 5–1 PIT | 1G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-01-04 | BOS 5–6 PIT | 2G 0A 4S | 1G 2A 3S |
| 2023-04-01 | BOS 4–3 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2023-01-02 | BOS 2–1 PIT | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2022-11-01 | BOS 6–5 PIT | 1G 0A 6S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2022-04-21 | BOS 0–4 PIT | 0G 0A 8S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2022-04-16 | BOS 2–1 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2022-02-08 | BOS 2–4 PIT | 0G 0A 5S | 1G 0A 5S |
Latest 12 of 28 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.
Brad Marchand
3games (1 left)
1.8proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 @ CAROpp allows 9th-most FP to LWLikely vs Brandon Bussi (.895)
- Thu, Oct 1 @ SJSOpp allows 15th-fewest FP to LWSchedule edge −1.0 win%Likely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
- Sun, Oct 4 @ ANA1.8 ptsOpp allows 8th-most FP to LWLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
Sidney Crosby
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ PHIOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Dan Vladar (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs MTL2.0 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to Cvs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Brad Marchand or Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Brad Marchand projects to 2.26 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Sidney Crosby's 2.18. Marchand had 54 points in 52 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 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, Brad Marchand or Sidney Crosby?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Sidney Crosby leads in 25 of 33 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Marchand and Crosby done against each other?
- In 28 games against each other in our data, Marchand's team went 16–12. Marchand had 33 points (17 goals) and Crosby had 31 (8 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Marchand or Crosby?
- Against each other, Marchand has won 3 and Crosby 11 of their 14 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 →