Who to start · 2025-26
Max Sasson vs Nic Dowd
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Max Sasson projects to 1.05 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84.
Sasson had 19 points in 66 games; Dowd had 21 in 75 games.
This week Sasson has 2 games left; Dowd has 2 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Sasson for 2.0 to Dowd's 1.8 over the games left.
Nic Dowd has the better number in 19 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Sasson's biggest edges: Goals above expected +3.8, Offensive-zone start % 61.7%, Top skating speed 23.7.
Dowd's biggest edges: Hits 140, Penalty minutes 73, Faceoff win % 49.2%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nic Dowd rates ahead, -3.9 to -5.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Sasson is steady, On-ice xGF/60 2.90 (was 1.83); Dowd is steady, ixG/60 0.05 (was 0.46).
- • Sasson, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 13 SOG.
- • Sasson, last 10 games (Oct 1–Oct 20): 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 11 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
Max Sasson
-5.1
category z-score total
Nic Dowd
-3.9
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Nic Dowd has the edge (Sasson wins 3, Dowd wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Sasson | Dowd |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.19 | 0.04 |
| Assists / game | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.34 | -0.15 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.04 | 0.66 |
| Hits / game | 0.45 | 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: Sasson 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.
Sasson 1G 0A, 3 SOG · Dowd 0G 2A, 5 SOG
Sasson's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 1–0 · Sasson's defensive zone 0–0 (2024-25 to 2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Sasson's side)
4:51 at 5-on-5 over 3 games, 2025-26, from Sasson's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–2
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.0
- 71.1%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Sasson | Dowd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-04 | VAN 2–3 VGK | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2026-04-07 | VAN 1–2 VGK | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2026-01-21 | VAN 4–3 WSH | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-10-19 | VAN 4–3 WSH | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2025-01-25 | VAN 2–1 WSH | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-08 | VAN 1–2 WSH | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Sasson vs Dowd
Model: Max Sasson wins 44.0% of draws against Nic Dowd on average (L shot vs R shot). Opposite-handed, so they are both strong or both weak at every dot and the dot barely matters.
| Sasson at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 44% | 43% | 46% | 44% | 44% | 46% | 44% | 47% | 45% |
| Road | 43% | 41% | 44% | 42% | 44% | 44% | 42% | 45% | 44% |
Head-to-head 2024-25 to 2025-26: Sasson 1–1 (50.0%). Blended with the model: 44.0%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z 0.2); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
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
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
Max Sasson
3games (2 left)
2.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs CAROpp allows 2nd-fewest FP to CLikely vs Pyotr Kochetkov (.899)
- Thu, Oct 22 vs DET1.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs John Gibson (.901)
- Sun, Oct 25 vs MIN1.0 pts
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 Max Sasson or Nic Dowd in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Max Sasson projects to 1.05 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nic Dowd's 0.84. Sasson had 19 points in 66 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, Max Sasson or Nic Dowd?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nic Dowd leads in 19 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Sasson and Dowd done against each other?
- In 6 games against each other in our data, Sasson's team went 3–3. Sasson had 1 points (1 goals) and Dowd had 2 (0 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Sasson or Dowd?
- Against each other, Sasson has won 1 and Dowd 1 of their 2 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 →