Who to start · 2026-27
Michael Bunting vs Reid Schaefer
In 2026-27, Reid Schaefer scored 0.79 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Bunting's 0.57.
Bunting had 2 points in 11 games; Schaefer had 2 in 13 games.
This week Bunting has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Schaefer has 1 left with 1 soft matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Schaefer for 1.0 to Bunting's 0.7 over the games left.
Reid Schaefer has the better number in 2 of the 2 stats both are ranked on.
Schaefer's biggest edges: Ascension score 72, Luck Meter −4.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Reid Schaefer rates ahead, -3.5 to -5.1 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Bunting is steady, ixG/60 1.33 (was 0.61); Schaefer is steady, On-ice xGF/60 2.12 (was 1.48).
- • Bunting has played 10 of the Flyers' 17 games since Oct 10 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Bunting, last 10 games (Oct 10–Nov 14): 1 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Schaefer has played 10 of the Predators' 14 games since Oct 15 (in and out of the lineup).
- • Schaefer, last 10 games (Oct 15–Nov 13): 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 8 SOG.
Philadelphia Flyers · Nashville Predators · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Reid Schaefer has the edge (Bunting wins 4, Schaefer wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Bunting | Schaefer |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.09 | 0.08 |
| Assists / game | 0.09 | 0.08 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.45 | 0.08 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.09 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.45 | 0.92 |
| Hits / game | 0.64 | 2.00 |
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: Bunting vs Schaefer
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
On the ice together
9:19 at 5-on-5 over 4 games, 2025-26
- Shot attempts
- 5–11
- 31.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.1
- 65.0%
- Goals
- 2–0
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
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Michael Bunting
4games (1 left)
0.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Nov 9 @ VANB2B
- Wed, Nov 11 @ EDMOpp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ CBJOpp allows 13th-most FP to LWLikely vs Jet Greaves (.875)
- Opp allows 9th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Tristan Jarry (.908)
Reid Schaefer
4games (1 left)
1.0proj. ESPN default pts
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Michael Bunting or Reid Schaefer in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Reid Schaefer scored 0.79 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Michael Bunting's 0.57. Bunting had 2 points in 11 games; Schaefer had 2 in 13 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, Michael Bunting or Reid Schaefer?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Reid Schaefer leads in 2 of 2 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
2026-27 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 →