Who to start · 2026-27
Brock Nelson vs Fraser Minten
In 2026-27, Fraser Minten scored 1.66 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Brock Nelson's 1.59.
Nelson had 13 points in 21 games; Minten had 13 in 20 games.
This week Nelson has no games left; Minten has no games left.
Fraser Minten has the better number in 17 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Nelson's biggest edges: Scoring chances 56.9%, Expected goals 58.9%, Sequence xG 58.2%.
Minten's biggest edges: Goals above expected +2.3, Penalty minutes 24, Hardest shot 89.6.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Fraser Minten rates ahead, +0.8 to +0.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Nelson is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 1.99 (was 3.20); Minten is cooling, ixG/60 0.44 (was 0.84).
- • Nelson, last 10 games (Oct 25–Nov 14): 3 G, 2 A, 1 PPP, 17 SOG.
- • Minten, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 14): 3 G, 2 A, 2 PPP, 13 SOG.
Colorado Avalanche · Boston Bruins · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Fraser Minten has the edge (Nelson wins 2, Minten wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | Nelson | Minten |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.29 | 0.35 |
| Assists / game | 0.33 | 0.30 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.29 | 0.30 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.71 | 1.95 |
| Hits / game | 0.57 | 1.20 |
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: Nelson vs Minten
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Nelson 0G 0A, 3 SOG · Minten 0G 0A, 1 SOG
Nelson's offensive zone 3–1 · neutral 1–2 · Nelson's defensive zone 2–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Nelson's side)
6:26 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Nelson's side
- Shot attempts
- 10–6
- 62.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.3
- 42.6%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Nelson | Minten |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-25 | COL 2–3 BOS | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-10-18 | COL 4–1 BOS | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Nelson vs Minten
Model: Brock Nelson wins 51.2% of draws against Fraser Minten on average (L shot vs L shot). Same-handed, so the dot decides who is on his strong side; the gap between the left and right dots is the real matchup.
| Nelson at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 57% | 44% | 58% | 45% | 51% | 58% | 45% | 59% | 46% |
| Road | 56% | 43% | 57% | 44% | 51% | 57% | 44% | 58% | 45% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Nelson 6–3 (66.7%). Blended with the model: 51.4%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.9); 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
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
Brock Nelson
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Nov 10 @ TOROpp allows 16th-most FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.881)
- Thu, Nov 12 @ OTTOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.939)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ MTLOpp allows 8th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.852)
Fraser Minten
2games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Nov 12 vs MTLOpp allows 8th-most FP to CLikely vs Jacob Fowler (.926)
- Sat, Nov 14 vs MINOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.926)
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 Brock Nelson or Fraser Minten in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Fraser Minten scored 1.66 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Brock Nelson's 1.59. Nelson had 13 points in 21 games; Minten had 13 in 20 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, Brock Nelson or Fraser Minten?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Fraser Minten leads in 17 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Nelson and Minten done against each other?
- In 2 games against each other in our data, Nelson's team went 1–1. Nelson had 0 points (0 goals) and Minten had 0 (0 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Nelson or Minten?
- Against each other, Nelson has won 6 and Minten 3 of their 9 head-to-head draws.
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 →