Who to start · 2025-26
Marc Gatcomb vs Nic Dowd
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Marc Gatcomb projects to 0.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84.
Gatcomb had 7 points in 49 games; Dowd had 21 in 75 games.
This week Gatcomb has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Dowd has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Gatcomb for 2.1 to Dowd's 1.8 over the games left.
Marc Gatcomb has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Gatcomb's biggest edges: Forecheck xG /60 0.56, High-danger chances 55.0%, Top skating speed 22.8.
Dowd's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 73, Faceoffs won 476, Blocked shots 50.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Marc Gatcomb rates ahead, -1.2 to -3.9 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Gatcomb is steady, On-ice xGF/60 1.25 (was 2.32); Dowd is steady, ixG/60 0.05 (was 0.46).
- • Gatcomb, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 20 SOG.
- • Gatcomb, last 10 games (Oct 2–Oct 20): 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 17 SOG.
- • Dowd, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
- • Dowd, last 10 games (Oct 2–Oct 20): 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 4 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Marc Gatcomb
-1.2
category z-score total
Nic Dowd
-3.9
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Marc Gatcomb has the edge (Gatcomb wins 3, Dowd wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Gatcomb | Dowd |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.07 | 0.04 |
| Assists / game | 0.09 | 0.20 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.15 | -0.15 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.42 | 0.66 |
| Hits / game | 3.68 | 1.81 |
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: Gatcomb vs Dowd
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2024-25 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Gatcomb 2G 0A, 8 SOG · Dowd 1G 2A, 5 SOG
Gatcomb blocked 0 of Dowd's shots; Dowd blocked 1 of Gatcomb's.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice against each other (Gatcomb's side)
6:35 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Gatcomb's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–8
- 42.9%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.4
- 6.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
On the ice together
103:56 at 5-on-5 over 11 games, 2026-27
- Shot attempts
- 86–107
- 44.6%
- Expected goals
- 2.8–5.4
- 34.6%
- Goals
- 2–4
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Gatcomb | Dowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-02 | NYI 1–4 WSH | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 1A 1S |
| 2025-10-11 | NYI 2–4 WSH | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-04-15 | NYI 1–3 WSH | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2025-04-06 | NYI 4–1 WSH | 2G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
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 VGK | 104 | +1.4 | +0.00 | .68(.25 to .89), 11 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
Marc Gatcomb
3games (2 left)
2.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs TBLOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ STL1.0 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ CBJ1.1 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to CLikely vs Jet Greaves (.908)
Nic Dowd
3games (2 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs TBLOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ STL0.9 pts
- Sat, Oct 24 @ CBJ0.9 ptsOpp allows 3rd-most FP to CLikely vs Jet Greaves (.908)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Marc Gatcomb or Nic Dowd in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Marc Gatcomb projects to 0.94 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84. Gatcomb had 7 points in 49 games; Dowd had 21 in 75 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, Marc Gatcomb or Nic Dowd?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Marc Gatcomb leads in 19 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Gatcomb and Dowd done against each other?
- In 4 games against each other in our data, Gatcomb's team went 1–3. Gatcomb had 2 points (2 goals) and Dowd had 3 (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 →