Who to start · 2025-26
Morgan Barron vs Noah Laba
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Morgan Barron projects to 1.19 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Laba's 0.90.
Barron had 23 points in 65 games; Laba had 24 in 74 games.
This week Barron has 2 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Laba has 2 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Barron for 2.2 to Laba's 1.8 over the games left.
Noah Laba has the better number in 19 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Barron's biggest edges: Hardest shot 95.6, Transition attempts /60 1.74, Goals above expected +0.5.
Laba's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.009, Faceoff win % 50.8%, Power-play points 5.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Morgan Barron rates ahead, -0.7 to -2.2 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Barron is cooling, ixG/60 0.61 (was 0.84); Laba is steady, ixG/60 0.44 (was 0.77).
- • Barron, 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
- • Laba, 2026-27 so far: 11 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
- • Laba, last 10 games (Oct 1–Oct 19): 0 G, 2 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
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Fantasy value: your scoring
Morgan Barron
-0.7
category z-score total
Noah Laba
-2.2
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Morgan Barron has the edge (Barron wins 5, Laba wins 1 of 6 categories).
| Category | Barron | Laba |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.07 |
| Assists / game | 0.20 | 0.19 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.09 | 0.02 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.31 | 0.92 |
| Hits / game | 2.31 | 1.74 |
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: Barron vs Laba
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.
Barron 0G 0A, 0 SOG · Laba 1G 0A, 1 SOG
Barron's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 0–2 · Barron's defensive zone 0–0 (2025-26)
On the ice against each other (Barron's side)
2:03 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Barron's side
- Shot attempts
- 1–0
- 100.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.0
- —
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Barron | Laba |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | WPG 3–6 NYR | 0G 0A 0S | 1G 0A 1S |
Faceoffs: Barron vs Laba
Model: Morgan Barron wins 47.2% of draws against Noah Laba 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.
| Barron at | OZ left | OZ right | NZ left (att.) | NZ right (att.) | Centre | NZ left (def.) | NZ right (def.) | DZ left | DZ right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 47% | 46% | 48% | 48% | 47% | 48% | 48% | 49% | 49% |
| Road | 46% | 45% | 47% | 46% | 47% | 47% | 46% | 48% | 47% |
Head-to-head 2025-26: Barron 0–2 (0.0%). Blended with the model: 47.0%. The record is a bit unusual for this matchup (z -1.3); 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
Morgan Barron
3games (2 left)
2.2proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 @ STLOpp allows 16th-most FP to CLikely vs Joel Hofer (.910)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ DAL1.0 ptsOpp allows 8th-fewest FP to Cvs Jake Oettinger (.899)
- Sun, Oct 25 vs MTL1.2 ptsOpp allows 6th-most FP to CLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Noah Laba
3games (2 left)
1.8proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs ANAOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Ville Husso (.884)
- Thu, Oct 22 @ TOR0.9 ptsOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to Cvs Sergei Bobrovsky (.877)
- Sat, Oct 24 @ OTT0.9 ptsOpp allows 11th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Samuel Ersson (.870)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Morgan Barron or Noah Laba in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Morgan Barron projects to 1.19 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Noah Laba's 0.90. Barron had 23 points in 65 games; Laba had 24 in 74 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, Morgan Barron or Noah Laba?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Noah Laba 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 Barron and Laba done against each other?
- In 1 games against each other in our data, Barron's team went 0–1. Barron had 0 points (0 goals) and Laba had 1 (1 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Barron or Laba?
- Against each other, Barron has won 0 and Laba 2 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 →