Who to start · 2025-26
Nick Cousins vs Noel Acciari
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Noel Acciari projects to 1.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93.
Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Acciari had 25 in 67 games.
This week Cousins has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Acciari has 2 left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Cousins for 2.7 to Acciari's 2.3 over the games left.
Nick Cousins has the better number in 17 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Cousins's biggest edges: Forecheck xG /60 0.54, Offensive-zone time 44.1%, Offensive-zone start % 58.1%.
Acciari's biggest edges: Faceoffs won 309, On-ice PDO 1037, Net penalties drawn /60 −0.26.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Noel Acciari rates ahead, -2.8 to -3.0 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Cousins is falling, On-ice xGF/60 1.08 (was 2.12); Acciari is rising, ixG/60 0.91 (was 0.51).
- • Cousins, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • Acciari, 2026-27 so far: 12 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 10 SOG.
- • Acciari, last 10 games (Oct 3–Oct 21): 1 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 9 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · Philadelphia Flyers · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nick Cousins
-3.0
category z-score total
Noel Acciari
-2.8
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Noel Acciari has the edge (Cousins wins 3, Acciari wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cousins | Acciari |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.14 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 0.10 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | -0.11 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.79 | 1.14 |
| Hits / game | 2.01 | 1.80 |
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: Cousins vs Acciari
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2018-19 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Cousins 6G 1A, 40 SOG · Acciari 4G 2A, 28 SOG
Cousins's offensive zone 0–0 · neutral 0–0 · Cousins's defensive zone 0–1 (2022-23)
Cousins blocked 0 of Acciari's shots; Acciari blocked 1 of Cousins's.
On the ice against each other (Cousins's side)
13:17 at 5-on-5 over 5 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27, from Cousins's side
- Shot attempts
- 11–12
- 47.8%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.1
- 75.5%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Cousins | Acciari |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-17 | OTT 1–3 PHI | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2026-10-08 | OTT 2–1 PHI | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2026-03-26 | OTT 3–4 PIT | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-02-02 | OTT 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-12-18 | OTT 4–0 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-11 | OTT 5–0 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-12-14 | OTT 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2023-05-12 · PO | FLA 3–2 TOR | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-05-10 · PO | FLA 1–2 TOR | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-05-07 · PO | FLA 3–2 TOR | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-05-04 · PO | FLA 3–2 TOR | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2023-05-02 · PO | FLA 4–2 TOR | 1G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
Latest 12 of 26 meetings.
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
Nick Cousins
3games
2.7proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA0.9 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.8 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Noel Acciari
3games (2 left)
2.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Mon, Oct 19 vs COLOpp allows 15th-most FP to CLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Wed, Oct 21 @ BUF1.1 ptsOpp allows 11th-most FP to CLikely vs Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (.910)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs ANA1.1 pts
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nick Cousins or Noel Acciari in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Noel Acciari projects to 1.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93. Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Acciari had 25 in 67 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, Nick Cousins or Noel Acciari?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nick Cousins leads in 17 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Cousins and Acciari done against each other?
- In 26 games against each other in our data, Cousins's team went 13–13. Cousins had 7 points (6 goals) and Acciari had 6 (4 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Cousins or Acciari?
- Against each other, Cousins has won 0 and Acciari 1 of their 1 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 →