Who to start · 2026-27
Brady Skjei vs Leon Draisaitl
In 2026-27, Leon Draisaitl scored 3.51 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Brady Skjei's 1.22.
Skjei had 6 points in 20 games; Draisaitl had 38 in 21 games.
This week Skjei has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Draisaitl has 1 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Draisaitl for 3.2 to Skjei's 1.3 over the games left.
Leon Draisaitl has the better number in 27 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Skjei's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 0.60, Hits 24, Blocked shots 28.
Draisaitl's biggest edges: Corsi 60.8%, Fenwick 59.7%, Sequence xG 62.9%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Leon Draisaitl rates ahead, +12.6 to -2.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Skjei is steady, +0:50 PP TOI; Draisaitl is rising, ixG/60 1.97 (was 1.43).
- • Skjei, last 10 games (Oct 25–Nov 13): 0 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
- • Draisaitl, last 10 games (Oct 26–Nov 14): 6 G, 9 A, 4 PPP, 39 SOG.
Nashville Predators · Edmonton Oilers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Leon Draisaitl has the edge (Skjei wins 1, Draisaitl wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Skjei | Draisaitl |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.00 | 0.86 |
| Assists / game | 0.30 | 0.95 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.25 | 1.00 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.57 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.00 | 3.86 |
| Hits / game | 1.20 | 0.29 |
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: Skjei vs Draisaitl
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.
Skjei 0G 5A, 23 SOG · Draisaitl 10G 15A, 46 SOG
Skjei blocked 2 of Draisaitl's shots; Draisaitl blocked 0 of Skjei's.
On the ice against each other (Skjei's side)
11:05 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Skjei's side
- Shot attempts
- 9–8
- 52.9%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.2
- 60.6%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Skjei | Draisaitl |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | NSH 1–3 EDM | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2026-01-13 | NSH 4–3 EDM | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 2A 4S |
| 2026-01-06 | NSH 2–6 EDM | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 2A 3S |
| 2024-11-14 | NSH 2–3 EDM | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 2A 4S |
| 2024-10-31 | NSH 1–5 EDM | 0G 0A 2S | 2G 1A 3S |
| 2024-10-17 | NSH 2–4 EDM | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2023-12-06 | CAR 1–6 EDM | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-11-22 | CAR 6–3 EDM | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2022-11-10 | CAR 7–2 EDM | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2022-10-20 | CAR 4–6 EDM | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 1A 6S |
| 2022-02-27 | CAR 2–1 EDM | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-12-11 | CAR 3–1 EDM | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 3S |
Latest 12 of 18 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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Brady Skjei
4games (1 left)
1.3proj. ESPN default pts
Leon Draisaitl
4games (1 left)
3.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs NYROpp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.910)
- Wed, Nov 11 vs PHIOpp allows 16th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dan Vladar (.879)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ TOROpp allows 16th-most FP to CLikely vs Anthony Stolarz (.905)
- Opp allows 16th-fewest FP to Cvs Dan Vladar (.879)
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Brady Skjei or Leon Draisaitl in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Leon Draisaitl scored 3.51 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Brady Skjei's 1.22. Skjei had 6 points in 20 games; Draisaitl had 38 in 21 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, Brady Skjei or Leon Draisaitl?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Leon Draisaitl leads in 27 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Skjei and Draisaitl done against each other?
- In 18 games against each other in our data, Skjei's team went 7–11. Skjei had 5 points (0 goals) and Draisaitl had 25 (10 goals).
2026-27 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 →