Who to start · 2025-26
Quinton Byfield vs William Nylander
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, William Nylander projects to 2.36 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57.
Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Nylander had 79 in 65 games.
This week Byfield has 1 game left with 1 tough matchup; Nylander has 1 left. We project Nylander for 2.1 ESPN points to Byfield's 1.4.
Quinton Byfield has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Byfield's biggest edges: Ascension score 56, Penalty minutes 46, Hits 66.
Nylander's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 66.1%, Luck Meter +74, Forecheck xG /60 0.33.
- • 2026-27 so far: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 3 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 2 GP, 2 G, 0 A, 0 PPP, 6 SOG.
Fantasy value: your scoring
Quinton Byfield
1.57
fantasy points per game
William Nylander
2.36
fantasy points per game
Under ESPN default points, William Nylander has the edge.
| Points per game from | Byfield | Nylander |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (+2) | 0.57 | 1.05 |
| Assists (+1) | 0.30 | 0.67 |
| Power-play points (+0.5) | 0.07 | 0.14 |
| Shorthanded points (+0.5) | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Shots on goal (+0.1) | 0.23 | 0.25 |
| Hits (+0.1) | 0.08 | 0.02 |
| Blocks (+0.5) | 0.32 | 0.24 |
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 Nylander
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2023-24 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Byfield 3G 3A, 16 SOG · Nylander 3G 4A, 17 SOG
Byfield's offensive zone 0–1 · neutral 0–0 · Byfield's defensive zone 0–0 (2024-25)
On the ice against each other (Byfield's side)
15:45 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Byfield's side
- Shot attempts
- 31–12
- 72.1%
- Expected goals
- 1.9–0.6
- 77.1%
- Goals
- 2–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Byfield | Nylander |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-04 | LAK 7–6 TOR | 2G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2025-11-13 | LAK 4–3 TOR | 1G 1A 3S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2025-03-29 | LAK 1–3 TOR | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 0S |
| 2024-10-16 | LAK 2–6 TOR | 0G 0A 3S | 1G 1A 3S |
| 2024-01-02 | LAK 0–3 TOR | 0G 0A 4S | 2G 0A 6S |
| 2023-10-31 | LAK 4–1 TOR | 0G 2A 2S | 0G 1A 5S |
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)
William Nylander
3games (1 left)
2.1proj. ESPN pts
- Tue, Sep 29 vs MTLOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Jakub Dobes (.901)
- Wed, Sep 30 vs NYIB2BOpp allows 14th-most FP to RWSchedule edge −9.3 win%Likely vs Ilya Sorokin (.906)
- Sat, Oct 3 vs OTT2.1 ptsvs Linus Ullmark (.891)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Quinton Byfield or William Nylander in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, William Nylander projects to 2.36 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Quinton Byfield's 1.57. Byfield had 49 points in 79 games; Nylander had 79 in 65 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 William Nylander?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Quinton Byfield leads in 19 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Byfield and Nylander done against each other?
- In 6 games against each other in our data, Byfield's team went 3–3. Byfield had 6 points (3 goals) and Nylander had 7 (3 goals).
- Who wins more faceoffs, Byfield or Nylander?
- Against each other, Byfield has won 0 and Nylander 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 →