Who to start · 2025-26
Connor McDavid vs Noel Acciari
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noel Acciari's 1.17.
McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Acciari had 25 in 67 games.
This week McDavid has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Acciari has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project McDavid for 6.1 to Acciari's 2.3 over the games left.
Connor McDavid has the better number in 28 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
McDavid's biggest edges: Top skating speed 24.6, 20+ mph bursts 681, Offensive-zone time 47.7%.
Acciari's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.000, On-ice PDO 1037, Blocked shots 62.
Head to head on the dot, McDavid leads Acciari 9–6.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Connor McDavid rates ahead, +21.0 to -2.8 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: McDavid is rising, 14 P in last 5 (2.00/GP before); Acciari is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.60 (was 2.18).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 20 A, 8 PPP, 22 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
- • Last 10 games (Oct 1–Oct 19): 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
Edmonton Oilers · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Connor McDavid
+21.0
category z-score total
Noel Acciari
-2.8
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Connor McDavid has the edge (McDavid wins 5, Acciari wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | McDavid | Acciari |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.62 | 0.15 |
| Assists / game | 1.52 | 0.10 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.84 | -0.11 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.74 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.25 | 1.19 |
| Hits / game | 0.85 | 1.71 |
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 Acciari
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.
McDavid 9G 17A, 52 SOG · Acciari 4G 0A, 22 SOG
McDavid's offensive zone 3–4 · neutral 5–1 · McDavid's defensive zone 1–1 (2018-19 to 2025-26)
McDavid blocked 0 of Acciari's shots; Acciari blocked 1 of McDavid's.
On the ice against each other (McDavid's side)
8:55 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from McDavid's side
- Shot attempts
- 8–6
- 57.1%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.5
- 48.5%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | McDavid | Acciari |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-22 | EDM 2–6 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-16 | EDM 6–4 PIT | 2G 2A 6S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-01-09 | EDM 3–5 PIT | 0G 3A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-10-25 | EDM 4–0 PIT | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-03-10 | EDM 4–0 PIT | 1G 2A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-03-03 | EDM 6–1 PIT | 1G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-03-11 | EDM 4–7 TOR | 1G 2A 3S | 2G 0A 7S |
| 2023-03-01 | EDM 5–2 TOR | 2G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-12-15 | EDM 3–4 STL | 1G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-10-26 | EDM 3–1 STL | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-10-22 | EDM 0–2 STL | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2019-10-27 | EDM 2–6 FLA | 0G 1A 4S | 1G 0A 3S |
Latest 12 of 16 meetings.
Faceoffs: McDavid vs Acciari
Model: Connor McDavid wins 46.1% of draws against Noel Acciari 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 | 46% | 45% | 48% | 46% | 46% | 48% | 46% | 49% | 47% |
| Road | 45% | 44% | 46% | 45% | 46% | 46% | 45% | 47% | 46% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2025-26: McDavid 5–2 (71.4%). Blended with the model: 46.5%. 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
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)
Noel Acciari
3games (2 left)
2.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 15th-most FP to CLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF1.1 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA1.1 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Connor McDavid or Noel Acciari 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 Noel Acciari's 1.17. McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Acciari had 25 in 67 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, Connor McDavid or Noel Acciari?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Connor McDavid leads in 28 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have McDavid and Acciari done against each other?
- In 16 games against each other in our data, McDavid's team went 8–8. McDavid had 26 points (9 goals) and Acciari had 4 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, McDavid or Acciari?
- Against each other, McDavid has won 9 and Acciari 6 of their 15 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 →