Who to start · 2025-26
Claude Giroux vs Macklin Celebrini
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.20 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Claude Giroux's 1.23.
Giroux had 49 points in 82 games; Celebrini had 115 in 82 games.
This week Giroux has 3 games left with 2 tough matchups; Celebrini has 2 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Celebrini for 5.5 to Giroux's 3.1 over the games left.
Macklin Celebrini has the better number in 23 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Giroux's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.041, High-danger chances 55.3%, Fenwick 56.0%.
Celebrini's biggest edges: Goals above expected +5.9, Luck Meter +76, Offensive-zone start % 68.6%.
Head to head on the dot, Giroux leads Celebrini 15–5.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Macklin Celebrini rates ahead, +13.2 to +2.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Giroux is steady, +1:09 PP TOI; Celebrini is surging, ixG/60 1.94 (was 1.10).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • Celebrini has played 8 of the Sharks' 10 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 5 G, 9 A, 8 PPP, 37 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · San Jose Sharks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Claude Giroux
+2.0
category z-score total
Macklin Celebrini
+13.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Macklin Celebrini has the edge (Giroux wins 2, Celebrini wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | Giroux | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.15 | 0.58 |
| Assists / game | 0.48 | 0.95 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.24 | 0.06 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.14 | 0.61 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.59 | 3.89 |
| Hits / game | 1.08 | 0.64 |
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: Giroux vs Celebrini
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2024-25 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Giroux 0G 2A, 4 SOG · Celebrini 1G 4A, 12 SOG
Giroux's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 1–2 · Giroux's defensive zone 14–2 (2024-25 to 2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Giroux's side)
4:55 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Giroux's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–6
- 50.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.3
- 12.2%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Giroux | Celebrini |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | OTT 7–4 SJS | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-11-22 | OTT 3–2 SJS | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-03-01 | OTT 5–3 SJS | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 2A 5S |
| 2024-11-27 | OTT 4–3 SJS | 0G 1A 0S | 1G 0A 3S |
Faceoffs: Giroux vs Celebrini
Model: Claude Giroux wins 60.7% of draws against Macklin Celebrini on average (R shot vs L shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Giroux at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 58% | 63% | 59% | 64% | 61% | 59% | 64% | 60% | 65% |
| Road | 57% | 61% | 58% | 62% | 61% | 58% | 62% | 59% | 64% |
Head-to-head 2024-25 to 2025-26: Giroux 15–5 (75.0%). Blended with the model: 61.3%. The record is a bit unusual for this matchup (z 1.3); 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
Claude Giroux
3games
3.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA1.0 ptsOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR1.0 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Macklin Celebrini
4games (2 left)
5.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ TOROpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ MTLB2B
- Thu, Oct 22 @ OTT3.0 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ BOS2.5 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Claude Giroux or Macklin Celebrini in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.20 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Claude Giroux's 1.23. Giroux had 49 points in 82 games; Celebrini had 115 in 82 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, Claude Giroux or Macklin Celebrini?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Macklin Celebrini leads in 23 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Giroux and Celebrini done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Giroux's team went 4–0. Giroux had 2 points (0 goals) and Celebrini had 5 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Giroux or Celebrini?
- Against each other, Giroux has won 15 and Celebrini 5 of their 20 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 →