Who to start · 2025-26
Macklin Celebrini vs Mikael Granlund
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.02 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.94.
Celebrini had 115 points in 82 games; Granlund had 41 in 58 games.
This week Celebrini has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Granlund has 3 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Celebrini for 8.6 to Granlund's 5.2 over the games left.
Macklin Celebrini has the better number in 25 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Celebrini's biggest edges: Hardest shot 97.9, Luck Meter +76, On-ice PDO 1036.
Granlund's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.072, Forecheck xG /60 0.40, High-danger chances 53.7%.
Head to head on the dot, Celebrini leads Granlund 9–2.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Macklin Celebrini rates ahead, +12.3 to +2.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Celebrini is rising, ixG/60 1.65 (was 1.12); Granlund is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.38 (was 3.38).
- • Celebrini has played 7 of the Sharks' 9 games since Oct 1 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 3 G, 8 A, 6 PPP, 31 SOG.
- • Granlund has played 7 of the Ducks' 8 games since Oct 2 (in and out of the lineup).
- • 2026-27 so far: 7 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 4 PPP, 14 SOG.
San Jose Sharks · Anaheim Ducks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Macklin Celebrini
+12.3
category z-score total
Mikael Granlund
+2.6
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Macklin Celebrini has the edge (Celebrini wins 6, Granlund wins 0 of 6 categories).
| Category | Celebrini | Granlund |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.51 | 0.31 |
| Assists / game | 0.95 | 0.53 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.11 | -0.20 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.55 | 0.33 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.80 | 2.01 |
| Hits / game | 0.62 | 0.38 |
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: Celebrini vs Granlund
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.
Celebrini 3G 8A, 11 SOG · Granlund 0G 6A, 4 SOG
Celebrini's offensive zone 3–0 · neutral 2–1 · Celebrini's defensive zone 4–1 (2025-26)
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice against each other (Celebrini's side)
22:04 at 5-on-5 over 4 games, 2025-26, from Celebrini's side
- Shot attempts
- 19–28
- 40.4%
- Expected goals
- 1.4–1.3
- 52.1%
- Goals
- 4–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Celebrini | Granlund |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-09 | SJS 1–6 ANA | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 2A 0S |
| 2026-04-01 | SJS 4–3 ANA | 2G 2A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-29 | SJS 5–4 ANA | 1G 2A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2025-10-11 | SJS 6–7 ANA | 0G 3A 1S | 0G 2A 0S |
| 2025-02-08 | SJS 3–8 DAL | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 2A 1S |
Faceoffs: Celebrini vs Granlund
Model: Macklin Celebrini wins 50.4% of draws against Mikael Granlund 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.
| Celebrini at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 55% | 44% | 57% | 46% | 51% | 57% | 46% | 58% | 47% |
| Road | 54% | 43% | 55% | 44% | 50% | 55% | 44% | 56% | 45% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Celebrini 9–2 (81.8%). Blended with the model: 51.1%. The record is unusual for this matchup (z 2.1); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
Celebrini faceoffs · Granlund faceoffs · how the model works
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 SJS | 53 | −3.3 | −0.19 | – (too few games together) |
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
Macklin Celebrini
4games (3 left)
8.6proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ TOROpp allows 13th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ OTT2.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ BOS2.4 ptsOpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jeremy Swayman (.908)
Mikael Granlund
4games (3 left)
5.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ NYROpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ NJD1.8 ptsOpp allows 16th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Jake Allen (.904)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ PHI1.9 ptsOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Macklin Celebrini or Mikael Granlund in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Macklin Celebrini projects to 3.02 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.94. Celebrini had 115 points in 82 games; Granlund had 41 in 58 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, Macklin Celebrini or Mikael Granlund?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Macklin Celebrini leads in 25 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Celebrini and Granlund done against each other?
- In 5 games against each other in our data, Celebrini's team went 2–3. Celebrini had 11 points (3 goals) and Granlund had 6 (0 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Celebrini or Granlund?
- Against each other, Celebrini has won 9 and Granlund 2 of their 11 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 →