Who to start · 2025-26
Brock Nelson vs Mikael Granlund
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Brock Nelson projects to 1.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.88.
Nelson had 65 points in 81 games; Granlund had 41 in 58 games.
This week Nelson has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Granlund has 3 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Nelson for 5.2 to Granlund's 5.2 over the games left.
Brock Nelson has the better number in 32 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Nelson's biggest edges: Plus/minus +15, On-ice PDO 1010, Scoring chances 58.3%.
Granlund's biggest edges: Ascension score 40, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.072, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.22.
Head to head on the dot, Nelson leads Granlund 15–8.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Brock Nelson rates ahead, +4.2 to +2.2 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Nelson is cooling, PP1 in 0 of last 5 (was 14 of 20); Granlund is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.38 (was 3.38).
- • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 3 PPP, 19 SOG.
- • Granlund has played 8 of the Ducks' 9 games since Oct 2 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 4 PPP, 15 SOG.
Colorado Avalanche · Anaheim Ducks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Brock Nelson
+4.2
category z-score total
Mikael Granlund
+2.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Brock Nelson has the edge (Nelson wins 4, Granlund wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Nelson | Granlund |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.36 | 0.30 |
| Assists / game | 0.44 | 0.51 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.19 | -0.19 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.25 | 0.32 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.14 | 1.97 |
| Hits / game | 0.48 | 0.36 |
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 Granlund
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.
Nelson 3G 14A, 46 SOG · Granlund 3G 5A, 30 SOG
Nelson's offensive zone 2–2 · neutral 9–3 · Nelson's defensive zone 4–3 (2018-19 to 2025-26)
Nelson blocked 1 of Granlund's shots; Granlund blocked 3 of Nelson's.
On the ice against each other (Nelson's side)
4:04 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Nelson's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–2
- 75.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.0
- 92.5%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Nelson | Granlund |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-21 | COL 1–2 ANA | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-05-03 · PO | COL 2–4 DAL | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-05-01 · PO | COL 7–4 DAL | 0G 2A 0S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2025-04-28 · PO | COL 2–6 DAL | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-04-26 · PO | COL 4–0 DAL | 0G 2A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-23 · PO | COL 1–2 DAL | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-04-21 · PO | COL 3–4 DAL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-19 · PO | COL 5–1 DAL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-03-16 | COL 4–3 DAL | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-02-23 | NYI 3–4 DAL | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-18 | NYI 4–1 SJS | 1G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-03-07 | NYI 7–2 SJS | 0G 3A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
Latest 12 of 21 meetings.
Faceoffs: Nelson vs Granlund
Model: Brock Nelson wins 51.5% of draws against Mikael Granlund 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% | 45% | 58% | 46% | 52% | 58% | 46% | 59% | 48% |
| Road | 56% | 44% | 57% | 45% | 51% | 57% | 45% | 58% | 46% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2025-26: Nelson 8–3 (72.7%). Blended with the model: 52.0%. The record is a bit unusual for this matchup (z 1.4); 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
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
Brock Nelson
4games (3 left)
5.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL1.5 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH1.9 pts
Mikael Granlund
4games (3 left)
5.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ NYROpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ NJD1.8 ptsOpp allows 16th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Allen (.904)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ PHI1.9 ptsOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Brock Nelson or Mikael Granlund in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Brock Nelson projects to 1.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.88. Nelson had 65 points in 81 games; Granlund had 41 in 58 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 Mikael Granlund?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Brock Nelson leads in 32 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 Granlund done against each other?
- In 21 games against each other in our data, Nelson's team went 8–13. Nelson had 17 points (3 goals) and Granlund had 8 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Nelson or Granlund?
- Against each other, Nelson has won 15 and Granlund 8 of their 23 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 →