Who to start · 2025-26
Quinton Byfield vs Rickard Rakell
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Rickard Rakell projects to 2.10 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57.
Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Rakell had 48 in 60 games.
This week Byfield has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Rakell has 1 left. We project Rakell for 2.0 ESPN points to Byfield's 1.4.
Quinton Byfield has the better number in 22 of the 36 stats both are ranked on.
Byfield's biggest edges: Transition attempts /60 1.78, Penalty minutes 46, Sequence xG 53.2%.
Rakell's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 66.1%, Forecheck xG /60 0.35, Offensive-zone time 44.6%.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PPP, 2 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Quinton Byfield
1.57
fantasy points per game
Rickard Rakell
2.10
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Rickard Rakell has the edge.
| Points per game from | Byfield | Rakell |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.57 | 0.75 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.30 | 0.44 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.07 | 0.16 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.02 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.23 | 0.27 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.08 | 0.13 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.32 | 0.34 |
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 custom weights are saved in this browser only.
Head-to-head: Byfield vs Rakell
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2020-21 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Byfield 0G 4A, 24 SOG · Rakell 2G 3A, 23 SOG
Byfield's offensive zone 1–0 · neutral 0–0 · Byfield's defensive zone 0–0 (2020-21)
On the ice against each other (Byfield's side)
6:59 at 5-on-5 over 1 games, 2025-26, from Byfield's side
- Shot attempts
- 7–4
- 63.6%
- Expected goals
- 0.5–0.3
- 60.9%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Byfield | Rakell |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-16 | LAK 2–4 PIT | 0G 1A 6S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2024-12-17 | LAK 2–3 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2024-02-18 | LAK 2–1 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2023-11-09 | LAK 3–4 PIT | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2023-02-11 | LAK 6–0 PIT | 0G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2022-10-20 | LAK 1–6 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2022-02-25 | LAK 4–1 ANA | 0G 1A 2S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2021-05-01 | LAK 2–6 ANA | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2021-04-30 | LAK 2–1 ANA | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2021-04-28 | LAK 2–3 ANA | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 1A 3S |
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
Sep 28 to Oct 4. 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 use ESPN default points for the games left.
Quinton Byfield
2games (1 left)
1.4proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ COLOpp allows 10th-most FP to RWLikely vs Mackenzie Blackwood (.903)
- Sat, Oct 3 @ SJS1.4 ptsOpp allows 7th-fewest FP to RWSchedule edge −3.2 win%Likely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.884)
Rickard Rakell
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ PHIOpp allows 5th-most FP to RWLikely vs Dan Vladar (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs MTL2.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWvs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Quinton Byfield or Rickard Rakell in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Rickard Rakell projects to 2.10 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57. Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Rakell had 48 in 60 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, Quinton Byfield or Rickard Rakell?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Quinton Byfield leads in 22 of 36 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Byfield and Rakell done against each other?
- In 10 games against each other in our data, Byfield's team went 4–6. Byfield had 4 points (0 goals) and Rakell had 5 (2 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Byfield or Rakell?
- Against each other, Byfield has won 1 and Rakell 0 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 →