Who to start · 2026-27
Danila Yurov vs Will Smith
In 2026-27, Will Smith scored 1.55 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Danila Yurov's 1.53.
Yurov had 11 points in 22 games; Smith had 15 in 22 games.
This week Yurov has no games left; Smith has 1 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Smith for 1.5 to Yurov's 0.0 over the games left.
Danila Yurov has the better number in 20 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Yurov's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.016, Plus/minus +5, Goals above expected +1.7.
Smith's biggest edges: Assists 8, Power-play time per game 4:21, Offensive-zone time 45.7%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Danila Yurov rates ahead, -0.6 to -0.7 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Yurov is surging, ixG/60 2.00 (was 1.02); Smith is rising, +1:56 PP TOI.
- • Yurov, last 10 games (Oct 25–Nov 14): 5 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 17 SOG.
- • Smith, last 10 games (Oct 27–Nov 14): 3 G, 4 A, 3 PPP, 21 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Danila Yurov has the edge (Yurov wins 3, Smith wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Yurov | Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.41 | 0.32 |
| Assists / game | 0.09 | 0.36 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.23 | -0.45 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.14 | 0.27 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.59 | 2.45 |
| Hits / game | 0.73 | 0.36 |
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: Yurov vs Smith
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Yurov 0G 0A, 1 SOG · Smith 1G 1A, 5 SOG
On the ice against each other (Yurov's side)
4:47 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Yurov's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–5
- 16.7%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.3
- 31.8%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Yurov | Smith |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-06 | MIN 4–1 SJS | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-11-11 | MIN 1–2 SJS | 0G 0A 0S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2025-10-26 | MIN 5–6 SJS | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
Faceoffs: Yurov vs Smith
Model: Danila Yurov wins 48.3% of draws against Will Smith 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.
| Yurov at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 49% | 47% | 50% | 48% | 49% | 50% | 48% | 51% | 49% |
| Road | 47% | 46% | 48% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 47% | 50% | 48% |
They have not faced each other on a draw in the seasons we track.
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Danila Yurov
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Nov 10 @ MTLOpp allows 13th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Jacob Fowler (.926)
- Thu, Nov 12 @ TOROpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Anthony Stolarz (.905)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ BOSOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.906)
Will Smith
4games (1 left)
1.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs NYI
- Wed, Nov 11 vs PITOpp allows 6th-most FP to CLikely vs Sergei Murashov (.893)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ UTAOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.872)
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Danila Yurov or Will Smith in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Will Smith scored 1.55 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Danila Yurov's 1.53. Yurov had 11 points in 22 games; Smith had 15 in 22 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, Danila Yurov or Will Smith?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Danila Yurov leads in 20 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Yurov and Smith done against each other?
- In 3 games against each other in our data, Yurov's team went 1–2. Yurov had 0 points (0 goals) and Smith had 2 (1 goals).
2026-27 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 →