Who to start · 2026-27
Dawson Mercer vs Will Cuylle
In 2026-27, Will Cuylle scored 1.49 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dawson Mercer's 1.49.
Mercer had 12 points in 21 games; Cuylle had 9 in 21 games.
This week Mercer has no games left; Cuylle has no games left.
Dawson Mercer has the better number in 17 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Mercer's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.55, Luck Meter +40, Goals above expected +1.3.
Cuylle's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 26, Hits 82, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.073.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Will Cuylle rates ahead, +0.7 to -1.4 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Mercer is rising, 6 P in last 5 (0.45/GP before); Cuylle is steady, 0 P in last 5 (0.50/GP before).
- • Mercer, last 10 games (Oct 27–Nov 14): 5 G, 3 A, 2 PPP, 19 SOG.
- • Cuylle, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 1 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 14 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Will Cuylle has the edge (Mercer wins 4, Cuylle wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | Mercer | Cuylle |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| Assists / game | 0.33 | 0.24 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | -0.19 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.10 | 0.10 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.05 | 1.95 |
| Hits / game | 0.67 | 3.90 |
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: Mercer vs Cuylle
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Mercer 3G 4A, 25 SOG · Cuylle 1G 0A, 12 SOG
Mercer's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Mercer's defensive zone 0–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Mercer's side)
11:33 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Mercer's side
- Shot attempts
- 12–7
- 63.2%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.1
- 89.4%
- Goals
- 0–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Mercer | Cuylle |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-15 | NJD 7–1 NYR | 0G 2A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-03-31 | NJD 1–4 NYR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-03-18 | NJD 6–3 NYR | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-03-07 | NJD 6–3 NYR | 1G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2025-04-05 | NJD 4–0 NYR | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-01-09 | NJD 2–3 NYR | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-12-23 | NJD 5–0 NYR | 1G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-12-02 | NJD 5–1 NYR | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-04-03 | NJD 3–4 NYR | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-03-11 | NJD 1–3 NYR | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-02-22 | NJD 1–5 NYR | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-11-18 | NJD 3–5 NYR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
Faceoffs: Mercer vs Cuylle
Model: Dawson Mercer wins 49.6% of draws against Will Cuylle on average (R shot vs L shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Mercer at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 51% | 48% | 52% | 49% | 50% | 52% | 49% | 53% | 50% |
| Road | 49% | 46% | 50% | 47% | 49% | 50% | 47% | 51% | 48% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Mercer 0–1 (0.0%). Blended with the model: 49.5%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -1.0); 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, 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
Dawson Mercer
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Nov 10 vs NJDOpp allows 9th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Allen (.881)
- Thu, Nov 12 @ DALOpp allows 14th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.902)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ CHIOpp allows 5th-most FP to CLikely vs Spencer Knight (.882)
Will Cuylle
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 @ EDM
- Wed, Nov 11 @ CGYOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Devin Cooley (.914)
- Fri, Nov 13 @ VANOpp allows the most FP to LWLikely vs Leevi Meriläinen (.885)
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 Dawson Mercer or Will Cuylle in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Will Cuylle scored 1.49 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Dawson Mercer's 1.49. Mercer had 12 points in 21 games; Cuylle had 9 in 21 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, Dawson Mercer or Will Cuylle?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Dawson Mercer leads in 17 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Mercer and Cuylle done against each other?
- In 12 games against each other in our data, Mercer's team went 6–6. Mercer had 7 points (3 goals) and Cuylle had 1 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Mercer or Cuylle?
- Against each other, Mercer has won 0 and Cuylle 1 of their 1 head-to-head draws.
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 →