Who to start · 2025-26
Mikael Granlund vs Nathan MacKinnon
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.15 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.94.
Granlund had 41 points in 58 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 games.
This week Granlund has 3 games left with 1 tough matchup; MacKinnon has 3 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project MacKinnon for 9.1 to Granlund's 5.2 over the games left.
Nathan MacKinnon has the better number in 31 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Granlund's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.072, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.22, Forecheck xG /60 0.40.
MacKinnon's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.83, Plus/minus +57, On-ice PDO 1054.
Head to head on the dot, MacKinnon leads Granlund 58–49.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Nathan MacKinnon rates ahead, +14.9 to +2.6 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Granlund is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.38 (was 3.38); MacKinnon is steady, On-ice xGF/60 3.02 (was 3.76).
- • 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.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 6 G, 10 A, 2 PPP, 39 SOG.
Anaheim Ducks · Colorado Avalanche · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Mikael Granlund
+2.6
category z-score total
Nathan MacKinnon
+14.9
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Nathan MacKinnon has the edge (Granlund wins 1, MacKinnon wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Granlund | MacKinnon |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.31 | 0.66 |
| Assists / game | 0.53 | 0.99 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.20 | 0.53 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.33 | 0.32 |
| Shots on goal / game | 2.01 | 4.36 |
| Hits / game | 0.38 | 0.58 |
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: Granlund vs MacKinnon
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.
Granlund 2G 17A, 59 SOG · MacKinnon 21G 26A, 160 SOG
Granlund's offensive zone 13–20 · neutral 22–23 · Granlund's defensive zone 14–15 (2017-18 to 2025-26)
Granlund blocked 5 of MacKinnon's shots; MacKinnon blocked 1 of Granlund's.
On the ice against each other (Granlund's side)
8:20 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Granlund's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–12
- 33.3%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.5
- 11.9%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Granlund | MacKinnon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-21 | ANA 2–1 COL | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2025-05-03 · PO | DAL 4–2 COL | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 0A 6S |
| 2025-05-01 · PO | DAL 4–7 COL | 1G 0A 2S | 1G 2A 2S |
| 2025-04-28 · PO | DAL 6–2 COL | 0G 0A 0S | 1G 1A 7S |
| 2025-04-26 · PO | DAL 0–4 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2025-04-23 · PO | DAL 2–1 COL | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 9S |
| 2025-04-21 · PO | DAL 4–3 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2025-04-19 · PO | DAL 1–5 COL | 0G 0A 0S | 2G 1A 7S |
| 2025-03-16 | DAL 3–4 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2024-12-19 | SJS 2–4 COL | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 2A 3S |
| 2024-10-20 | SJS 1–4 COL | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 2A 3S |
| 2023-12-31 | SJS 1–3 COL | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 2A 3S |
Latest 12 of 30 meetings.
Faceoffs: Granlund vs MacKinnon
Model: Mikael Granlund wins 48.6% of draws against Nathan MacKinnon 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.
| Granlund at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 47% | 49% | 48% | 50% | 49% | 48% | 50% | 49% | 52% |
| Road | 46% | 48% | 47% | 49% | 48% | 47% | 49% | 48% | 50% |
Head-to-head 2023-24 to 2025-26: Granlund 14–18 (43.8%). Blended with the model: 48.3%. The record is normal luck for this matchup (z -0.5); pair-specific edges are about ±2 points, so the model carries most of the weight.
Granlund faceoffs · MacKinnon 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
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
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)
Nathan MacKinnon
4games (3 left)
9.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 @ PHIOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Joseph Woll (.899)
- Fri, Oct 23 vs TBL2.5 ptsOpp allows 6th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.912)
- Sun, Oct 25 @ NSH3.5 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Mikael Granlund or Nathan MacKinnon in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Nathan MacKinnon projects to 3.15 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Mikael Granlund's 1.94. Granlund had 41 points in 58 games; MacKinnon had 127 in 80 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, Mikael Granlund or Nathan MacKinnon?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nathan MacKinnon leads in 31 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Granlund and MacKinnon done against each other?
- In 30 games against each other in our data, Granlund's team went 11–19. Granlund had 19 points (2 goals) and MacKinnon had 47 (21 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Granlund or MacKinnon?
- Against each other, Granlund has won 49 and MacKinnon 58 of their 107 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 →