Who to start · 2025-26
Kaapo Kakko vs Timo Meier
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Timo Meier projects to 1.65 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kaapo Kakko's 1.27.
Kakko had 40 points in 65 games; Meier had 44 in 77 games.
This week Kakko has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Meier has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Meier for 4.1 to Kakko's 2.4 over the games left.
Timo Meier has the better number in 25 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Kakko's biggest edges: Luck Meter +75, Turnover Ledger /60 +0.048, On-ice PDO 1055.
Meier's biggest edges: Blocked shots 53, Scoring chances 53.4%, Corsi 54.3%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Timo Meier rates ahead, +3.1 to +1.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Kakko is steady, On-ice xGF/60 3.34 (was 2.22); Meier is cooling, −3:15 TOI a game.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 1 PPP, 8 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 1 PPP, 38 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Kaapo Kakko
+1.1
category z-score total
Timo Meier
+3.1
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Timo Meier has the edge (Kakko wins 2, Meier wins 4 of 6 categories).
| Category | Kakko | Meier |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.21 | 0.24 |
| Assists / game | 0.51 | 0.29 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.22 | -0.17 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.12 | 0.12 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.08 | 3.77 |
| Hits / game | 0.54 | 1.77 |
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: Kakko vs Meier
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2019-20 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Kakko 2G 2A, 29 SOG · Meier 1G 6A, 71 SOG
On the ice against each other (Kakko's side)
8:09 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Kakko's side
- Shot attempts
- 2–11
- 15.4%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.2
- 44.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Kakko | Meier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-25 | SEA 4–2 NJD | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2026-01-14 | SEA 2–3 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-01-06 | SEA 2–3 NJD | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2024-12-02 | NYR 1–5 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-04-03 | NYR 4–3 NJD | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2024-03-11 | NYR 3–1 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2024-02-22 | NYR 5–1 NJD | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2023-05-01 · PO | NYR 0–4 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-04-29 · PO | NYR 5–2 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 6S |
| 2023-04-27 · PO | NYR 0–4 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2023-04-24 · PO | NYR 1–3 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2023-04-22 · PO | NYR 1–2 NJD | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
Latest 12 of 21 meetings.
Faceoffs: Kakko vs Meier
Model: Kaapo Kakko wins 48.9% of draws against Timo Meier 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.
| Kakko at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55% | 42% | 56% | 43% | 49% | 56% | 43% | 57% | 44% |
| Road | 53% | 41% | 55% | 42% | 49% | 55% | 42% | 56% | 43% |
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
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
Kaapo Kakko
3games (2 left)
2.4proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs DETOpp allows 13th-most FP to RWLikely vs Daniil Tarasov (.895)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs UTA1.4 ptsOpp allows 10th-most FP to RWLikely vs Karel Vejmelka (.897)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs MIN1.0 ptsOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Jesper Wallstedt (.916)
Timo Meier
3games (2 left)
4.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs COL
- Thu, Oct 22 vs ANA2.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs LAK2.1 ptsOpp allows 4th-most FP to RWLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Kaapo Kakko or Timo Meier in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Timo Meier projects to 1.65 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Kaapo Kakko's 1.27. Kakko had 40 points in 65 games; Meier had 44 in 77 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, Kaapo Kakko or Timo Meier?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Timo Meier leads in 25 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Kakko and Meier done against each other?
- In 21 games against each other in our data, Kakko's team went 12–9. Kakko had 4 points (2 goals) and Meier had 7 (1 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 →