Who to start · 2025-26
Colton Parayko vs Shea Theodore
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Colton Parayko projects to 1.73 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Shea Theodore's 1.52.
Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Theodore had 39 in 70 games.
This week Parayko has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Theodore has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Parayko for 3.2 to Theodore's 3.1 over the games left.
Shea Theodore has the better number in 24 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Parayko's biggest edges: Hits 95, Blocked shots 172, Forecheck xG /60 0.38.
Theodore's biggest edges: Goals above expected +1.5, Corsi 54.5%, Plus/minus +19.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Shea Theodore rates ahead, +4.5 to -1.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Parayko is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.78 (was 2.67); Theodore is cooling, 1 P in last 5 (0.55/GP before).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 1 PPP, 23 SOG.
- • Last 10 games (Oct 2–Oct 20): 2 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 22 SOG.
St. Louis Blues · Vegas Golden Knights · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Colton Parayko
-1.1
category z-score total
Shea Theodore
+4.5
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Shea Theodore has the edge (Parayko wins 1, Theodore wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Parayko | Theodore |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.03 | 0.16 |
| Assists / game | 0.28 | 0.32 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.09 | 0.58 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.39 | 1.96 |
| Hits / game | 1.06 | 0.02 |
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: Parayko vs Theodore
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.
Parayko 2G 9A, 36 SOG · Theodore 2G 12A, 60 SOG
Parayko blocked 3 of Theodore's shots; Theodore blocked 3 of Parayko's.
On the ice against each other (Parayko's side)
16:36 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Parayko's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–15
- 34.8%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.9
- 50.9%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Parayko | Theodore |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-10 | STL 2–4 VGK | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2025-11-15 | STL 1–4 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2025-01-23 | STL 2–4 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-20 | STL 5–4 VGK | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 4A 1S |
| 2024-10-11 | STL 3–4 VGK | 0G 1A 2S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2024-03-25 | STL 1–2 VGK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2023-03-12 | STL 3–5 VGK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-11-12 | STL 3–2 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2022-04-29 | STL 4–7 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2021-11-22 | STL 5–2 VGK | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2021-10-20 | STL 3–1 VGK | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2021-05-08 | STL 1–4 VGK | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
Latest 12 of 22 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
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
Colton Parayko
3games (2 left)
3.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs WPGOpp allows 12th-most FP to DLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.888)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs VGK1.6 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to DLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs CAR1.6 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Pyotr Kochetkov (.899)
Shea Theodore
3games (2 left)
3.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs TBLOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ STL1.6 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ CBJ1.5 ptsOpp allows 13th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Jet Greaves (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Colton Parayko or Shea Theodore in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Colton Parayko projects to 1.73 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Shea Theodore's 1.52. Parayko had 18 points in 77 games; Theodore had 39 in 70 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, Colton Parayko or Shea Theodore?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Shea Theodore leads in 24 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Parayko and Theodore done against each other?
- In 22 games against each other in our data, Parayko's team went 10–12. Parayko had 11 points (2 goals) and Theodore had 14 (2 goals).
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 →