Who to start · 2026-27
Jack McBain vs Lawson Crouse
In 2026-27, Jack McBain scored 1.25 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Lawson Crouse's 1.25.
McBain had 7 points in 21 games; Crouse had 7 in 21 games.
This week McBain has no games left; Crouse has no games left.
Lawson Crouse has the better number in 21 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
McBain's biggest edges: Top skating speed 23.1, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.22, Transition attempts /60 1.79.
Crouse's biggest edges: Forecheck xG /60 0.50, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.112, 20+ mph bursts 45.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Jack McBain rates ahead, -0.4 to -0.9 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: McBain is surging, 4 P in last 5 (0.20/GP before); Crouse is steady, On-ice xGF/60 3.07 (was 2.67).
- • McBain, last 10 games (Oct 24–Nov 14): 2 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • Crouse, last 10 games (Oct 24–Nov 14): 1 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 15 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Jack McBain has the edge (McBain wins 2, Crouse wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | McBain | Crouse |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| Assists / game | 0.19 | 0.24 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.10 | 0.14 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.14 | 1.62 |
| Hits / game | 3.95 | 2.52 |
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: McBain vs Crouse
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2022-23 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
McBain blocked 4 of Crouse's shots; Crouse blocked 0 of McBain's.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice together
390:49 at 5-on-5 over 46 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27
- Shot attempts
- 427–367
- 53.8%
- Expected goals
- 20.4–17.2
- 54.2%
- Goals
- 18–15
Faceoffs: McBain vs Crouse
Model: Jack McBain wins 61.5% of draws against Lawson Crouse on average (L shot vs L shot). Same-handed, so the dot decides who is on his strong side; the gap between the left and right dots is the real matchup.
| McBain at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 68% | 54% | 69% | 55% | 62% | 69% | 55% | 70% | 56% |
| Road | 67% | 52% | 68% | 53% | 61% | 68% | 53% | 69% | 55% |
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
Chemistry as teammates
How their expected-goal share at 5v5 changed together vs apart (shrunk for sample size), and how closely their DraftKings points moved game to game (raw, that season only; for forward linemates the typical value is about .28).
| Season | 5v5 min together | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK correlation (raw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 UTA | 86 | +3.8 | +0.41 | .45(−.24 to .84), 8 GP |
| 2025-26 UTA | 322 | −1.8 | +0.11 | .24(−.08 to .51), 29 GP |
| 2024-25 UTA | 422 | +5.9 | +0.55 | .08(−.19 to .34), 40 GP |
| 2022-23 ARI | 265 | +5.0 | +0.34 | .25(−.12 to .56), 22 GP |
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
Jack McBain
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 @ VGKOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Carter Hart (.895)
- Thu, Nov 12 vs STLB2B
- Sat, Nov 14 vs SJSOpp allows 2nd-most FP to CLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.890)
Lawson Crouse
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 @ VGKOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Carter Hart (.895)
- Thu, Nov 12 vs STLB2B
- Sat, Nov 14 vs SJSOpp allows 3rd-most FP to LWLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.890)
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 Jack McBain or Lawson Crouse in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Jack McBain scored 1.25 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Lawson Crouse's 1.25. McBain had 7 points in 21 games; Crouse had 7 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, Jack McBain or Lawson Crouse?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Lawson Crouse leads in 21 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
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 →