Who to start · 2025-26
Ilya Protas vs Nathan MacKinnon
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ilya Protas's 1.53.
Protas had 4 points in 4 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games.
This week Protas has 1 game left; MacKinnon has 2 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 6.0 to Protas's 1.3 over the games left.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.0 to +1.8 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Protas is rising, ixG/60 1.58 (was 0.52); MacKinnon is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.51 (was 3.88).
- • Ilya Protas is a rookie: 4 NHL games before this season.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 1 PPP, 8 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 44 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Ilya Protas
+1.8
category z-score total
Nathan MacKinnon
+14.0
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (Protas wins 0, MacKinnon wins 6 of 6 categories).
| Category | Protas | MacKinnon |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.20 | 0.64 |
| Assists / game | 0.64 | 0.96 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.11 | 0.43 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.20 | 0.30 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.43 | 4.38 |
| Hits / game | 0.17 | 0.68 |
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
Ilya Protas and Nathan MacKinnon have no head-to-head events in our data yet (regular season and playoffs since 2019-20).
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
Ilya Protas
2games (1 left)
1.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs LAKOpp allows 2nd-most FP to LWLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs BUF1.3 ptsOpp allows 11th-most FP to LWLikely vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.910)
Nathan MacKinnon
4games (2 left)
6.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Tue, Oct 20 @ NJDB2B
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.5 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Ilya Protas or Nathan MacKinnon in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.08 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Ilya Protas's 1.53. Protas had 4 points in 4 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games. Check this week's games and your league's scoring in the fantasy panel above, since more games usually decide a weekly start.
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 →