Who to start · 2025-26
Nick Cousins vs Stephen Halliday
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Stephen Halliday projects to 1.21 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93.
Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Halliday had 11 in 30 games.
This week Cousins has 3 games left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups; Halliday has 3 left with 1 soft and 1 tough matchups. In ESPN default points scoring we project Halliday for 3.1 to Cousins's 2.7 over the games left.
Nick Cousins has the better number in 13 of the 22 stats both are ranked on.
Cousins's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 92, Hits 169, Blocked shots 41.
Halliday's biggest edges: Ascension score 59, Power-play time per game 1:54, Power-play share 37.5%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Stephen Halliday rates ahead, -1.0 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); Halliday is steady, +3:19 TOI a game.
- • Cousins, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 5 SOG.
- • Halliday, 2026-27 so far: 10 GP, 3 G, 2 A, 3 PPP, 16 SOG.
Ottawa Senators · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Nick Cousins
-3.0
category z-score total
Stephen Halliday
-1.0
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Stephen Halliday has the edge (Cousins wins 1, Halliday wins 5 of 6 categories).
| Category | Cousins | Halliday |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.11 | 0.20 |
| Assists / game | 0.14 | 0.22 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.10 | -0.08 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.00 | 0.18 |
| Shots on goal / game | 0.79 | 1.32 |
| Hits / game | 2.01 | 0.84 |
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 Halliday
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2025-26 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Goals each scored with the other picking up an assist (as teammates).
On the ice together
118:51 at 5-on-5 over 27 games, 2025-26 to 2026-27
- Shot attempts
- 104–111
- 48.4%
- Expected goals
- 4.7–4.7
- 50.4%
- Goals
- 4–5
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
Chemistry as teammates
How their expected-goal share at 5v5 changed together vs apart (shrunk for sample size), and how closely their DraftKings points moved game to game (raw, that season only; for forward linemates the typical value is about .28).
| Season | 5v5 min together | xG% lift | xGF/60 lift | DK correlation (raw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 OTT | 87 | +2.2 | +0.15 | .50(−.12 to .84), 9 GP |
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)
Stephen Halliday
3games
3.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Oct 21 vs FLA1.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Akira Schmid (.892)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs NYR0.9 ptsOpp allows 5th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Dylan Garand (.948)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Nick Cousins or Stephen Halliday in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Stephen Halliday projects to 1.21 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Nick Cousins's 0.93. Cousins had 23 points in 81 games; Halliday had 11 in 30 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 Stephen Halliday?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Nick Cousins leads in 13 of 22 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
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 →