Who to start · 2025-26
Lars Eller vs Nick Cousins
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nick Cousins projects to 0.95 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Lars Eller's 0.86.
Eller had 15 points in 68 games; Cousins had 23 in 81 games.
This week Eller has 3 games left with 1 soft matchup; Cousins has 3 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cousins for 2.7 to Eller's 2.6 over the games left.
Nick Cousins has the better number in 21 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Eller's biggest edges: Ascension score 81, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.15, Faceoffs won 332.
Cousins's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 92, Hits 169, Fenwick 53.1%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Lars Eller rates ahead, -1.9 to -3.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Eller is surging, +4:41 TOI a game; Cousins is falling, On-ice xGF/60 1.08 (was 2.12).
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 1 PPP, 8 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
Florida Panthers · Ottawa Senators · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Lars Eller
-1.9
category z-score total
Nick Cousins
-3.1
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Lars Eller has the edge (Eller wins 4, Cousins wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Eller | Cousins |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.05 | 0.11 |
| Assists / game | 0.30 | 0.15 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.21 | -0.10 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.04 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.95 | 0.78 |
| Hits / game | 0.67 | 1.93 |
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: Eller vs Cousins
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Eller 2G 3A, 35 SOG · Cousins 1G 3A, 17 SOG
Eller's offensive zone 2–0 · neutral 1–2 · Eller's defensive zone 1–0 (2017-18 to 2023-24)
Eller blocked 1 of Cousins's shots; Cousins blocked 2 of Eller's.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice together
228:09 at 5-on-5 over 44 games, 2025-26
- Shot attempts
- 196–185
- 51.4%
- Expected goals
- 6.1–5.7
- 52.0%
- Goals
- 7–5
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Eller | Cousins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-16 | WSH 1–0 OTT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-02-14 | PIT 2–5 FLA | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2023-12-08 | PIT 1–3 FLA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2023-02-16 | WSH 3–6 FLA | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2022-11-15 | WSH 2–5 FLA | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2021-12-29 | WSH 5–3 NSH | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2020-02-20 | WSH 3–4 MTL | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2020-01-27 | WSH 4–2 MTL | 0G 1A 6S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2019-11-15 | WSH 2–5 MTL | 0G 0A 6S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2018-12-06 | WSH 4–2 ARI | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2018-11-11 | WSH 1–4 ARI | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2017-12-22 | WSH 2–3 ARI | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 2S |
Latest 12 of 13 meetings.
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
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 OTT | 221 | −0.3 | −0.66 | .20(−.15 to .51), 24 GP |
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
Lars Eller
3games
2.6proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 @ OTT0.8 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to Cvs Linus Ullmark (.891)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ CHI0.9 ptsOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Spencer Knight (.902)
Nick Cousins
3games
2.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA0.9 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to Cvs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.8 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Lars Eller or Nick Cousins in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nick Cousins projects to 0.95 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Lars Eller's 0.86. Eller had 15 points in 68 games; Cousins had 23 in 81 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, Lars Eller or Nick Cousins?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nick Cousins leads in 21 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Eller and Cousins done against each other?
- In 13 games against each other in our data, Eller's team went 5–8. Eller had 5 points (2 goals) and Cousins had 4 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Eller or Cousins?
- Against each other, Eller has won 4 and Cousins 2 of their 6 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 →