Who to start · 2026-27
Mikko Rantanen vs Roman Kantserov
In 2026-27, Mikko Rantanen scored 2.21 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Roman Kantserov's 1.49.
Rantanen had 22 points in 19 games; Kantserov had 12 in 20 games.
This week Rantanen has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Kantserov has no games left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Rantanen for 1.8 to Kantserov's 0.0 over the games left.
Mikko Rantanen has the better number in 11 of the 14 stats both are ranked on.
Rantanen's biggest edges: Scoring chances 57.7%, Expected goals 57.0%, Sequence xG 56.9%.
Kantserov's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.88, Ascension score 70, Luck Meter +53.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Mikko Rantanen rates ahead, +4.2 to -2.5 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Rantanen is cooling, −1:59 TOI a game; Kantserov is steady, 77% of team PP time (was 62%).
- • Rantanen, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 14): 4 G, 7 A, 5 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Roman Kantserov is an NHL rookie: this is his first season.
- • Kantserov, last 10 games (Oct 25–Nov 14): 6 G, 3 A, 2 PPP, 16 SOG.
Dallas Stars · Chicago Blackhawks · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Mikko Rantanen has the edge (Rantanen wins 5, Kantserov wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | Rantanen | Kantserov |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.47 | 0.45 |
| Assists / game | 0.68 | 0.15 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.26 | -0.60 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.42 | 0.15 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.84 | 1.60 |
| Hits / game | 0.79 | 0.80 |
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: Rantanen vs Kantserov
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2026-27 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Rantanen 0G 1A, 1 SOG · Kantserov 0G 0A, 0 SOG
On the ice against each other (Rantanen's side)
2:32 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2026-27, from Rantanen's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–1
- 50.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.1–0.0
- 100.0%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Rantanen | Kantserov |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-17 | DAL 4–0 CHI | 0G 1A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
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
Mikko Rantanen
3games (1 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Nov 12 vs WPGOpp allows 13th-most FP to RWLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.880)
- Sat, Nov 14 vs BUFOpp allows 2nd-most FP to RWLikely vs Alex Lyon (.909)
- Opp allows 8th-fewest FP to RWvs Akira Schmid (.883)
Roman Kantserov
2games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Thu, Nov 12 vs BUF
- Sat, Nov 14 vs WPGOpp allows 13th-most FP to RWLikely vs Stuart Skinner (.880)
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 Mikko Rantanen or Roman Kantserov in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Mikko Rantanen scored 2.21 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Roman Kantserov's 1.49. Rantanen had 22 points in 19 games; Kantserov had 12 in 20 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, Mikko Rantanen or Roman Kantserov?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Mikko Rantanen leads in 11 of 14 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Rantanen and Kantserov done against each other?
- In 1 games against each other in our data, Rantanen's team went 1–0. Rantanen had 1 points (0 goals) and Kantserov had 0 (0 goals).
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 →