Who to start · 2026-27
Shea Theodore vs Sidney Crosby
In 2026-27, Sidney Crosby scored 1.46 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Shea Theodore's 1.40.
Theodore had 7 points in 21 games; Crosby had 13 in 20 games.
This week Theodore has 1 game left with 1 soft matchup; Crosby has no games left. In ESPN default points scoring we project Theodore for 1.6 to Crosby's 0.0 over the games left.
Sidney Crosby has the better number in 19 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Theodore's biggest edges: Plus/minus +12, Net penalties drawn /60 +0.26, On-ice PDO 1053.
Crosby's biggest edges: Penalty minutes 14, Ascension score 66, Offensive-zone start % 75.8%.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Shea Theodore rates ahead, +0.6 to -1.5 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Theodore is cooling, On-ice xGF/60 2.45 (was 3.39); Crosby is rising, ixG/60 1.58 (was 1.00).
- • Theodore, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 13): 0 G, 3 A, 1 PPP, 14 SOG.
- • Crosby, last 10 games (Oct 22–Nov 14): 3 G, 4 A, 2 PPP, 18 SOG.
Vegas Golden Knights · Pittsburgh Penguins · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Shea Theodore has the edge (Theodore wins 3, Crosby wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Theodore | Crosby |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.10 | 0.30 |
| Assists / game | 0.24 | 0.35 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.57 | -0.35 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.10 | 0.15 |
| Shots on goal / game | 1.76 | 2.00 |
| Hits / game | 0.05 | 0.60 |
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: Theodore vs Crosby
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2017-18 to 2026-27: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Theodore 3G 1A, 27 SOG · Crosby 3G 5A, 29 SOG
Theodore blocked 1 of Crosby's shots; Crosby blocked 2 of Theodore's.
On the ice against each other (Theodore's side)
12:26 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2026-27, from Theodore's side
- Shot attempts
- 10–6
- 62.5%
- Expected goals
- 0.3–0.7
- 30.5%
- Goals
- 1–1
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Theodore | Crosby |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-03 | VGK 3–2 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2026-10-17 | VGK 6–2 PIT | 1G 0A 1S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2023-11-19 | VGK 0–3 PIT | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 4S |
| 2022-12-01 | VGK 3–4 PIT | 1G 0A 6S | 0G 1A 3S |
| 2022-03-11 | VGK 2–5 PIT | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2022-01-17 | VGK 3–5 PIT | 0G 1A 4S | 1G 0A 4S |
| 2019-10-19 | VGK 3–0 PIT | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2019-01-19 | VGK 7–3 PIT | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 6S |
| 2018-10-11 | VGK 2–4 PIT | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2018-02-06 | VGK 4–5 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 2A 4S |
| 2017-12-14 | VGK 2–1 PIT | 0G 0A 0S | 0G 0A 0S |
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, Luck & trend, NHL EDGE tracking continue below
Every stat, side by side (continued)
Transition, turnovers & faceoffs
Usage
Special teams & discipline
This week's schedule
Nov 9 to Nov 15. 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
Shea Theodore
3games (1 left)
1.6proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs UTAOpp allows 10th-most FP to DLikely vs Sebastian Cossa (.862)
- Fri, Nov 13 vs NSHOpp allows 16th-most FP to DLikely vs Juuse Saros (.922)
- Sun, Nov 15 vs VAN1.6 pts
Sidney Crosby
2games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 @ SJSOpp allows 2nd-most FP to CLikely vs Yaroslav Askarov (.890)
- Sat, Nov 14 vs OTTOpp allows 10th-fewest FP to CLikely vs Linus Ullmark (.939)
Player data stories
How the game changed, told through the numbers.
- In 2022-23, Four NHL Players Wore a Number in the 90s for Every One in No. 9 The count was 53 to 13, and the incomplete 2025-26 rosters show the same split, 51 to 12.
- The 1,000-Game Club Had Its Biggest Year. Getting In Is No Easier. Seventeen players reached 1,000 NHL games in 2025-26, more than in any season before, in the biggest league the NHL has had.
- Only 14 NHL Defencemen Still Score Like Ken Daneyko A stay-at-home defenceman stays back to defend and leaves the scoring to others.
- How Much Lighter Did the NHL Really Get? Teams write down NHL weights.
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Shea Theodore or Sidney Crosby in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Sidney Crosby scored 1.46 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Shea Theodore's 1.40. Theodore had 7 points in 21 games; Crosby had 13 in 20 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, Shea Theodore or Sidney Crosby?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Sidney Crosby 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 Theodore and Crosby done against each other?
- In 11 games against each other in our data, Theodore's team went 5–6. Theodore had 4 points (3 goals) and Crosby had 8 (3 goals).
2026-27 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 →