Who to start · 2025-26
John Tavares vs Pavel Dorofeyev
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Pavel Dorofeyev projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to John Tavares's 1.80.
Tavares had 71 points in 82 games; Dorofeyev had 64 in 82 games.
This week Tavares has 1 game left; Dorofeyev has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. We project Tavares for 1.7 ESPN points to Dorofeyev's 1.4.
Pavel Dorofeyev has the better number in 22 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Tavares's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 801, Forecheck xG /60 0.34, Hits 74.
Dorofeyev's biggest edges: Scoring chances 57.0%, High-danger chances 59.2%, Transition attempts /60 1.65.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 3 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 12 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
John Tavares
1.80
fantasy points per game
Pavel Dorofeyev
1.90
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Pavel Dorofeyev has the edge.
| Points per game from | Tavares | Dorofeyev |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.67 | 0.86 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.49 | 0.33 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.11 | 0.18 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.24 | 0.30 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.09 | 0.03 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.22 | 0.20 |
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: Tavares vs Dorofeyev
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.
Tavares 2G 4A, 7 SOG · Dorofeyev 3G 1A, 11 SOG
Tavares's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 0–0 · Tavares's defensive zone 1–0 (2024-25)
Tavares blocked 1 of Dorofeyev's shots; Dorofeyev blocked 0 of Tavares's.
On the ice against each other (Tavares's side)
14:06 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Tavares's side
- Shot attempts
- 18–12
- 60.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.9–0.5
- 65.5%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Tavares | Dorofeyev |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-23 | TOR 3–6 VGK | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2026-01-15 | TOR 5–6 VGK | 1G 1A 1S | 2G 0A 4S |
| 2025-03-05 | TOR 2–5 VGK | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2024-11-20 | TOR 3–0 VGK | 0G 2A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
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.
John Tavares
3games (1 left)
1.7proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs MTLOpp allows 14th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
- Wed, Sep 30 vs NYIB2BOpp allows 15th-most FP to CSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs OTT1.7 ptsvs Linus Ullmark (.891)
Pavel Dorofeyev
4games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 @ BOSOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
- Thu, Oct 1 vs TBLOpp allows the most FP to RWLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Fri, Oct 2 @ DETB2BOpp allows 8th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs John Gibson (.901)
- Sun, Oct 4 vs UTA1.4 ptsOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to RWSchedule edge +9.3 win%Likely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start John Tavares or Pavel Dorofeyev in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Pavel Dorofeyev projects to 1.90 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to John Tavares's 1.80. Tavares had 71 points in 82 games; Dorofeyev had 64 in 82 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, John Tavares or Pavel Dorofeyev?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Pavel Dorofeyev leads in 22 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Tavares and Dorofeyev done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Tavares's team went 1–3. Tavares had 6 points (2 goals) and Dorofeyev had 4 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Tavares or Dorofeyev?
- Against each other, Tavares has won 1 and Dorofeyev 0 of their 1 head-to-head draws.
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 →