Who to start · 2025-26
Darnell Nurse vs Quinton Byfield
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Darnell Nurse projects to 1.83 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57.
Nurse had 24 points in 82 games; Byfield had 49 in 79 games.
This week Nurse has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Byfield has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Nurse for 2.1 ESPN points to Byfield's 1.4.
Quinton Byfield has the better number in 23 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Nurse's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 53.0%, Hits 137, Blocked shots 167.
Byfield's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.42, Ascension score 56, Scoring chances 53.3%.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 0 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Darnell Nurse
1.83
fantasy points per game
Quinton Byfield
1.57
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Darnell Nurse has the edge.
| Points per game from | Nurse | Byfield |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.16 | 0.57 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.19 | 0.30 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.19 | 0.23 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.17 | 0.08 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 1.11 | 0.32 |
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 custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Nurse vs Byfield
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Nurse 3G 9A, 65 SOG · Byfield 10G 14A, 73 SOG
Nurse blocked 6 of Byfield's shots; Byfield blocked 1 of Nurse's.
On the ice against each other (Nurse's side)
13:11 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Nurse's side
- Shot attempts
- 11–10
- 52.4%
- Expected goals
- 0.4–0.5
- 44.9%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Nurse | Byfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-11 | EDM 0–1 LAK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-02-26 | EDM 8–1 LAK | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2026-01-10 | EDM 3–4 LAK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-05-01 · PO | EDM 6–4 LAK | 1G 1A 4S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-04-29 · PO | EDM 3–1 LAK | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-04-27 · PO | EDM 4–3 LAK | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 6S |
| 2025-04-25 · PO | EDM 7–4 LAK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-23 · PO | EDM 2–6 LAK | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-04-21 · PO | EDM 5–6 LAK | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2025-04-14 | EDM 0–5 LAK | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2025-04-05 | EDM 0–3 LAK | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2025-01-13 | EDM 1–0 LAK | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
Latest 12 of 36 meetings.
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
Sep 28 to Oct 4. 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 use ESPN default points for the games left.
Darnell Nurse
2games (1 left)
2.1proj. ESPN pts
- Thu, Oct 1 vs FLAOpp allows 15th-fewest FP to DLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs LAK2.1 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to DSchedule edge +3.3 win%Likely vs Anton Forsberg (.910)
Quinton Byfield
2games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ COLOpp allows 10th-most FP to RWLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Sat, Oct 3 @ SJS1.4 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to RWSchedule edge −3.2 win%vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Darnell Nurse or Quinton Byfield in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Darnell Nurse projects to 1.83 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57. Nurse had 24 points in 82 games; Byfield had 49 in 79 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 Quinton Byfield?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Quinton Byfield leads in 23 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Nurse and Byfield done against each other?
- In 36 games against each other in our data, Nurse's team went 23–13. Nurse had 12 points (3 goals) and Byfield had 24 (10 goals).
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 →