Who to start · 2025-26
Quinton Byfield vs Sidney Crosby
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57.
Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 games.
This week Byfield has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Crosby has 1 left. We project Crosby for 2.0 ESPN points to Byfield's 1.4.
They split the 36 stats both are ranked on 18–18.
Byfield's biggest edges: Net penalties drawn /60 +0.42, Transition attempts /60 1.78, Expected goals 53.0%.
Crosby's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 66.5%, Luck Meter +61, Draw Equity /100 +0.063.
Head to head on the dot, Crosby leads Byfield 19–9.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Quinton Byfield
1.57
fantasy points per game
Sidney Crosby
2.18
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, Sidney Crosby has the edge.
| Points per game from | Byfield | Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.57 | 0.80 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.30 | 0.68 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.07 | 0.16 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.23 | 0.24 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.08 | 0.10 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.32 | 0.21 |
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 Crosby
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2021-22 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Byfield 0G 3A, 25 SOG · Crosby 5G 5A, 21 SOG
Byfield's offensive zone 2–5 · neutral 5–11 · Byfield's defensive zone 2–3 (2021-22 to 2025-26)
Byfield blocked 0 of Crosby's shots; Crosby blocked 1 of Byfield's.
On the ice against each other (Byfield's side)
15:17 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Byfield's side
- Shot attempts
- 21–8
- 72.4%
- Expected goals
- 1.8–0.5
- 77.9%
- Goals
- 1–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Byfield | Crosby |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-09 | LAK 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-10-16 | LAK 2–4 PIT | 0G 1A 6S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2025-01-20 | LAK 1–5 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 1G 1A 2S |
| 2024-12-17 | LAK 2–3 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 6S |
| 2024-02-18 | LAK 2–1 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 2S |
| 2023-11-09 | LAK 3–4 PIT | 0G 1A 3S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2023-02-11 | LAK 6–0 PIT | 0G 1A 5S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2022-10-20 | LAK 1–6 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2022-01-30 | LAK 4–3 PIT | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 1A 2S |
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)
Sidney Crosby
2games (1 left)
2.0proj. ESPN pts
- Wed, Sep 30 @ PHIOpp allows 7th-most FP to CLikely vs Dan Vladar (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs MTL2.0 ptsOpp allows 14th-most FP to Cvs Jakub Dobes (.901)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Quinton Byfield or Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Sidney Crosby projects to 2.18 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57. Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Crosby had 74 in 68 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 Sidney Crosby?
- On 2025-26 numbers they split 18–18 across 36 stats where both qualify.
- How have Byfield and Crosby done against each other?
- In 9 games against each other in our data, Byfield's team went 4–5. Byfield had 3 points (0 goals) and Crosby had 10 (5 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Byfield or Crosby?
- Against each other, Byfield has won 9 and Crosby 19 of their 28 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 →