Who to start · 2026-27
Darnell Nurse vs Drew Helleson
In 2026-27, Drew Helleson scored 1.47 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Darnell Nurse's 1.39.
Nurse had 3 points in 21 games; Helleson had 2 in 13 games.
This week Nurse has 1 game left; Helleson has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Nurse for 1.5 to Helleson's 1.4 over the games left.
They split the 14 stats both are ranked on 7–7.
Nurse's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.17, High-danger chances 42.5%, Offensive-zone start % 42.4%.
Helleson's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.057, Ascension score 59, Corsi 46.4%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Darnell Nurse rates ahead, -0.9 to -2.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Nurse is steady; Helleson is rising, +4:47 TOI a game.
- • Nurse, last 10 games (Oct 27–Nov 14): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 11 SOG.
- • Helleson has played 10 of the Ducks' 11 games since Oct 22 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Helleson, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 14): 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 11 SOG.
San Jose Sharks · Anaheim Ducks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Darnell Nurse has the edge (Nurse wins 3, Helleson wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Nurse | Helleson |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.05 | 0.00 |
| Assists / game | 0.10 | 0.15 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.24 | -0.15 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.52 | 1.15 |
| Hits / game | 1.86 | 1.62 |
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: Nurse vs Helleson
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2024-25 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Nurse 2G 1A, 25 SOG · Helleson 1G 2A, 9 SOG
Nurse blocked 1 of Helleson's shots; Helleson blocked 0 of Nurse's.
On the ice against each other (Nurse's side)
27:50 at 5-on-5 over 7 games, 2025-26, from Nurse's side
- Shot attempts
- 19–25
- 43.2%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.8
- 51.0%
- Goals
- 1–2
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Nurse | Helleson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-30 · PO | EDM 2–5 ANA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-04-28 · PO | EDM 4–1 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-04-26 · PO | EDM 3–4 ANA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-04-24 · PO | EDM 4–7 ANA | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2026-04-22 · PO | EDM 4–6 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-03-28 | EDM 4–2 ANA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-01-26 | EDM 7–4 ANA | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-04-07 | EDM 2–3 ANA | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2025-03-04 | EDM 2–6 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-01-03 | EDM 3–2 ANA | 1G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2024-12-29 | EDM 3–5 ANA | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 1S |
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
Darnell Nurse
4games (1 left)
1.5proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 vs NYI
- Wed, Nov 11 vs PITOpp allows 12th-most FP to DLikely vs Sergei Murashov (.893)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ UTAOpp allows 10th-most FP to DLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.872)
Drew Helleson
3games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs NSH
- Sat, Nov 14 vs NYIOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Semyon Varlamov (.899)
- Opp allows 4th-most FP to Dvs Devin Cooley (.914)
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 Darnell Nurse or Drew Helleson in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Drew Helleson scored 1.47 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Darnell Nurse's 1.39. Nurse had 3 points in 21 games; Helleson had 2 in 13 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, Darnell Nurse or Drew Helleson?
- On 2026-27 numbers they split 7–7 across 14 stats where both qualify.
- How have Nurse and Helleson done against each other?
- In 11 games against each other in our data, Nurse's team went 4–7. Nurse had 3 points (2 goals) and Helleson had 3 (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 →