Who to start · 2025-26
Connor McDavid vs Justin Danforth
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Danforth's 0.51.
McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Danforth had 0 in 4 games.
This week McDavid has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Danforth has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project McDavid for 6.1 to Danforth's 2.1 over the games left.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Connor McDavid rates ahead, +21.0 to -7.7 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: McDavid is rising, 14 P in last 5 (2.00/GP before); Danforth has no recent trend.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 20 A, 8 PPP, 22 SOG.
- • Danforth has played 6 of the Sabres' 7 games since Oct 6 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 6 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 1 SOG.
Edmonton Oilers · Buffalo Sabres · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Connor McDavid
+21.0
category z-score total
Justin Danforth
-7.7
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Connor McDavid has the edge (McDavid wins 6, Danforth wins 0 of 6 categories).
| Category | McDavid | Danforth |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.62 | 0.00 |
| Assists / game | 1.52 | 0.00 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.84 | -0.31 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.25 | 0.40 |
| Hits / game | 0.85 | 0.68 |
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: McDavid vs Danforth
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2024-25: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
McDavid 1G 9A, 15 SOG · Danforth 1G 1A, 10 SOG
McDavid's offensive zone 1–2 · neutral 1–1 · McDavid's defensive zone 0–0 (2023-24 to 2024-25)
Games against each other
| Date | Score | McDavid | Danforth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-05 | EDM 6–3 CBJ | 0G 4A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-10-28 | EDM 1–6 CBJ | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2024-03-07 | EDM 2–4 CBJ | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2024-01-23 | EDM 4–1 CBJ | 1G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-04-24 | EDM 2–5 CBJ | 0G 2A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-12-16 | EDM 5–2 CBJ | 0G 2A 5S | 1G 0A 3S |
Faceoffs: McDavid vs Danforth
Model: Connor McDavid wins 48.9% of draws against Justin Danforth 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.
| McDavid at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 50% | 47% | 51% | 48% | 49% | 51% | 48% | 53% | 49% |
| Road | 49% | 45% | 50% | 46% | 49% | 50% | 46% | 51% | 48% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2024-25: McDavid 2–3 (40.0%). Blended with the model: 48.8%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.4); 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
Connor McDavid
3games (2 left)
6.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs MINOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs CAR2.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs TOR3.2 ptsOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
Justin Danforth
2games
2.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs PHI1.1 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ WSH1.1 ptsOpp allows 5th-most FP to RWLikely vs Logan Thompson (.912)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Connor McDavid or Justin Danforth in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Justin Danforth's 0.51. McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Danforth had 0 in 4 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
- How have McDavid and Danforth done against each other?
- In 6 games against each other in our data, McDavid's team went 3–3. McDavid had 10 points (1 goals) and Danforth had 2 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, McDavid or Danforth?
- Against each other, McDavid has won 2 and Danforth 3 of their 5 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 →