Should I start Casey Cizikas or Nic Dowd in fantasy hockey?

In 2026-27, Nic Dowd scored 0.67 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Casey Cizikas's 0.66. Cizikas had 2 points in 10 games; Dowd had 2 in 12 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, Casey Cizikas or Nic Dowd?

On 2026-27 numbers, Casey Cizikas leads in 2 of 2 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.

How have Cizikas and Dowd done against each other?

In 35 games against each other in our data, Cizikas's team went 14–21. Cizikas had 8 points (5 goals) and Dowd had 8 (5 goals).

Who wins more faceoffs, Cizikas or Dowd?

Against each other, Cizikas has won 29 and Dowd 40 of their 69 head-to-head draws.

Who to start · 2026-27

Casey Cizikas vs Nic Dowd

Casey Cizikas

Islanders · Centre

Nic Dowd

Golden Knights · Centre

CoolingixG/60 0.05 (was 0.82)

SteadyixG/60 0.06 (was 0.47)

In 2026-27, Nic Dowd scored 0.67 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Casey Cizikas's 0.66.

Cizikas had 2 points in 10 games; Dowd had 2 in 12 games.

This week Cizikas has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Dowd has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Dowd for 1.0 to Cizikas's 0.7 over the games left.

Casey Cizikas has the better number in 2 of the 2 stats both are ranked on.

Cizikas's biggest edges: Ascension score 47, Luck Meter −22.

Head to head on the dot, Dowd leads Cizikas 40–29.

Role trend over the last 5 games: Cizikas is cooling, ixG/60 0.05 (was 0.82); Dowd is steady, ixG/60 0.06 (was 0.47).

• Cizikas, last 10 games (Sep 30–Oct 22): 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 8 SOG.
• Dowd, last 10 games (Oct 4–Oct 22): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.

New York Islanders · Vegas Golden Knights · Who should I start? · Compare other players

Fantasy value: your scoring

Casey Cizikas

0.0

category z-score total

Nic Dowd

0.0

category z-score total

Dead even under Standard (6 categories) (Cizikas wins 0, Dowd wins 0 of 6 categories).

Per-stat breakdown under Standard (6 categories)
Category	Cizikas	Dowd
Goals / game	0.10	0.00
Assists / game	0.10	0.17
Plus/minus / game	0.40	-0.42
Power-play points / game	0.00	0.00
Shots on goal / game	0.80	0.33
Hits / game	1.30	1.83

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: Cizikas vs Dowd

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.

CizikasDowd

14Team record in 35 meetings21

8Points in those games8

Cizikas 5G 3A, 52 SOG · Dowd 5G 3A, 39 SOG

29Faceoffs against each other40

Cizikas's offensive zone 10–18 · neutral 15–17 · Cizikas's defensive zone 4–5 (2017-18 to 2025-26)

2Hits on each other2

1Penalties drawn off the other0

On the ice against each other (Cizikas's side)

8:44 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Cizikas's side

Shot attempts: 11–9; 55.0%
Expected goals: 0.3–0.5; 38.0%
Goals: 0–0

Games against each other

Games between Casey Cizikas and Nic Dowd
Date	Score	Cizikas	Dowd
2026-02-02	NYI 1–4 WSH	0G 0A 5S	1G 1A 1S
2025-10-31	NYI 3–1 WSH	0G 0A 0S	0G 0A 1S
2025-10-11	NYI 2–4 WSH	0G 0A 0S	0G 0A 1S
2025-04-15	NYI 1–3 WSH	0G 0A 2S	0G 1A 2S
2025-04-06	NYI 4–1 WSH	0G 0A 0S	0G 0A 1S
2024-11-29	NYI 4–5 WSH	0G 0A 0S	1G 0A 4S
2023-12-20	NYI 2–3 WSH	0G 0A 1S	0G 0A 1S
2023-11-11	NYI 1–4 WSH	0G 0A 2S	1G 0A 3S
2023-03-29	NYI 2–1 WSH	0G 0A 4S	0G 0A 1S
2023-03-11	NYI 1–5 WSH	0G 0A 0S	1G 0A 2S
2023-01-16	NYI 3–4 WSH	0G 0A 1S	0G 0A 0S
2022-04-26	NYI 4–1 WSH	1G 0A 2S	0G 0A 1S

Latest 12 of 35 meetings.

Faceoffs: Cizikas vs Dowd

Model: Casey Cizikas wins 53.3% 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.

Casey Cizikas's predicted win % against Nic Dowd at each dot, in Cizikas's attacking direction, at home and on the road.
Cizikas at	OZ left	OZ right	NZ left (att.)	NZ right (att.)	Centre	NZ left (def.)	NZ right (def.)	DZ left	DZ right
Home	54%	51%	56%	52%	54%	56%	52%	57%	53%
Road	53%	50%	54%	51%	53%	54%	51%	55%	52%

Head-to-head 2024-25 to 2025-26: Cizikas 6–6 (50.0%). Blended with the model: 53.2%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.2); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.

Cizikas faceoffs · Dowd faceoffs · how the model works

Every stat, side by side

Season values; bars are percentiles at each player's position (longer is better). Click a stat for its explainer.

CizikasDowd

Fantasy box score

10
Games played
12
1
Goals
0
1
Assists
2
2
Points
2
0
Power-play points
0
1
Shorthanded points
0
8
Shots on goal
4
13
Hits
22
2
Blocked shots
7
+4
Plus/minus
−5
2
Penalty minutes
9
37
Faceoffs won
58

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)

CizikasDowd

Transition, turnovers & faceoffs

Usage

Special teams & discipline

+0.98
Net penalties drawn /60
+0.41

Luck & trend

NHL EDGE tracking

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

Casey Cizikas

3games (1 left)

0.7proj. ESPN default pts

Tue, Oct 20 vs ANA
Opp allows 11th-most FP to CSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Lukas Dostal (.881)
Thu, Oct 22 vs LAK
Opp allows 5th-most FP to CLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.890)
Sun, Oct 25 @ DAL0.7 pts
Opp allows 7th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.939)

Nic Dowd

3games (1 left)

1.0proj. ESPN default pts

Tue, Oct 20 vs TBL
Opp allows 3rd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.884)
Thu, Oct 22 @ STL
Opp allows 16th-most FP to CSchedule edge −1.0 win%Likely vs Joel Hofer (.921)
Sat, Oct 24 @ CBJ1.0 pts
Opp allows 2nd-most FP to CLikely vs Jet Greaves (.883)

FAQ

Should I start Casey Cizikas or Nic Dowd in fantasy hockey?: In 2026-27, Nic Dowd scored 0.67 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Casey Cizikas's 0.66. Cizikas had 2 points in 10 games; Dowd had 2 in 12 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, Casey Cizikas or Nic Dowd?: On 2026-27 numbers, Casey Cizikas leads in 2 of 2 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
How have Cizikas and Dowd done against each other?: In 35 games against each other in our data, Cizikas's team went 14–21. Cizikas had 8 points (5 goals) and Dowd had 8 (5 goals).
Who wins more faceoffs, Cizikas or Dowd?: Against each other, Cizikas has won 29 and Dowd 40 of their 69 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 →