Who to start · 2025-26
Connor McDavid vs Sean Couturier
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Connor McDavid projects to 3.76 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Sean Couturier's 0.98.
McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Couturier had 36 in 78 games.
This week McDavid has 2 games left with 2 tough matchups; Couturier has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project McDavid for 6.1 to Couturier's 1.9 over the games left.
Connor McDavid has the better number in 29 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
McDavid's biggest edges: Top skating speed 24.6, Offensive-zone time 47.7%, Offensive-zone start % 65.6%.
Couturier's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 −0.007, Hits 100, Draw Equity /100 +0.058.
Head to head on the dot, McDavid leads Couturier 24–19.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Connor McDavid rates ahead, +21.0 to -2.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: McDavid is rising, 14 P in last 5 (2.00/GP before); Couturier is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.21 (was 2.38).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 20 A, 8 PPP, 22 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • Last 10 games (Oct 1–Oct 19): 0 G, 3 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
Edmonton Oilers · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Connor McDavid
+21.0
category z-score total
Sean Couturier
-2.1
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Connor McDavid has the edge (McDavid wins 5, Couturier wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | McDavid | Couturier |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.62 | 0.09 |
| Assists / game | 1.52 | 0.29 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.84 | -0.11 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.74 | 0.01 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.25 | 1.38 |
| Hits / game | 0.85 | 1.51 |
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 Couturier
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 7G 17A, 34 SOG · Couturier 4G 11A, 33 SOG
McDavid's offensive zone 8–11 · neutral 7–4 · McDavid's defensive zone 9–4 (2017-18 to 2025-26)
McDavid blocked 3 of Couturier's shots; Couturier blocked 0 of McDavid's.
On the ice against each other (McDavid's side)
9:20 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from McDavid's side
- Shot attempts
- 12–7
- 63.2%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.4
- 55.6%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | McDavid | Couturier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-03 | EDM 2–5 PHI | 1G 1A 6S | 0G 2A 6S |
| 2025-11-12 | EDM 2–1 PHI | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-02-22 | EDM 3–6 PHI | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 2A 3S |
| 2024-10-15 | EDM 4–3 PHI | 0G 2A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-01-02 | EDM 5–2 PHI | 1G 4A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2023-10-19 | EDM 1–4 PHI | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 2A 2S |
| 2021-10-27 | EDM 3–5 PHI | 1G 1A 9S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2019-10-16 | EDM 6–3 PHI | 1G 4A 1S | 0G 1A 8S |
| 2019-02-02 | EDM 4–5 PHI | 1G 1A 5S | 1G 1A 1S |
| 2018-12-14 | EDM 4–1 PHI | 2G 1A 2S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2017-12-06 | EDM 2–4 PHI | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2017-10-21 | EDM 1–2 PHI | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
Faceoffs: McDavid vs Couturier
Model: Connor McDavid wins 43.1% of draws against Sean Couturier on average (L shot vs L shot). Same-handed, so the dot decides who is on his strong side; the gap between the left and right dots is the real matchup.
| McDavid at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 51% | 34% | 52% | 35% | 43% | 52% | 35% | 53% | 36% |
| Road | 50% | 33% | 51% | 34% | 43% | 51% | 34% | 52% | 35% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2025-26: McDavid 17–7 (70.8%). Blended with the model: 44.4%. The record is unusual for this matchup (z 2.7); 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)
Sean Couturier
3games (2 left)
1.9proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 15th-most FP to CLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF1.0 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA1.0 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Connor McDavid or Sean Couturier 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 Sean Couturier's 0.98. McDavid had 138 points in 82 games; Couturier had 36 in 78 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 Sean Couturier?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Connor McDavid leads in 29 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 Couturier done against each other?
- In 12 games against each other in our data, McDavid's team went 5–7. McDavid had 24 points (7 goals) and Couturier had 15 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, McDavid or Couturier?
- Against each other, McDavid has won 24 and Couturier 19 of their 43 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 →