Who to start · 2025-26
Timo Meier vs Valeri Nichushkin
Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Timo Meier projects to 1.65 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Valeri Nichushkin's 1.41.
Meier had 44 points in 77 games; Nichushkin had 49 in 72 games.
This week Meier has 2 games left with 1 soft matchup; Nichushkin has 1 left with 1 tough matchup. In ESPN default points scoring we project Meier for 4.1 to Nichushkin's 1.3 over the games left.
Valeri Nichushkin has the better number in 20 of the 34 stats both are ranked on.
Meier's biggest edges: Blocked shots 53, Faceoffs won 57, Hits 131.
Nichushkin's biggest edges: Turnover Ledger /60 +0.024, Plus/minus +9, On-ice PDO 1001.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Timo Meier rates ahead, +3.1 to +0.8 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Meier is cooling, −3:15 TOI a game; Nichushkin is steady, −1:46 5v5 TOI.
- • 2026-27 so far: 9 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 1 PPP, 38 SOG.
- • 2026-27 so far: 8 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 1 PPP, 10 SOG.
New Jersey Devils · Columbus Blue Jackets · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Timo Meier
+3.1
category z-score total
Valeri Nichushkin
+0.8
category z-score total
Under Standard (6 categories), Timo Meier has the edge (Meier wins 4, Nichushkin wins 2 of 6 categories).
| Category | Meier | Nichushkin |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.24 | 0.20 |
| Assists / game | 0.29 | 0.42 |
| Plus/minus / game | -0.17 | -0.01 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.77 | 1.88 |
| Hits / game | 1.77 | 1.11 |
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: Meier vs Nichushkin
Every event between them in NHL play-by-play, 2018-19 to 2025-26: games against each other, faceoffs, shots on goal, hits and penalties. Regular season and playoffs.
Meier 6G 9A, 58 SOG · Nichushkin 6G 8A, 38 SOG
On the ice against each other (Meier's side)
5:30 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Meier's side
- Shot attempts
- 3–10
- 23.1%
- Expected goals
- 0.0–0.2
- 20.6%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Meier | Nichushkin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-28 | NJD 4–8 COL | 0G 1A 3S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2025-10-26 | NJD 4–3 COL | 0G 1A 1S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2025-02-26 | NJD 1–5 COL | 0G 0A 5S | 0G 0A 5S |
| 2024-12-08 | NJD 0–4 COL | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 1S |
| 2023-11-07 | NJD 3–6 COL | 1G 0A 3S | 0G 1A 2S |
| 2022-03-31 | SJS 2–4 COL | 1G 0A 2S | 0G 1A 4S |
| 2022-03-18 | SJS 3–5 COL | 0G 0A 5S | 2G 0A 4S |
| 2021-11-13 | SJS 2–6 COL | 0G 1A 4S | 0G 1A 0S |
| 2021-05-05 | SJS 3–2 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2021-05-03 | SJS 4–5 COL | 1G 0A 3S | 1G 0A 3S |
| 2021-05-01 | SJS 3–4 COL | 0G 0A 1S | 0G 0A 3S |
| 2021-04-30 | SJS 0–3 COL | 0G 0A 3S | 0G 0A 2S |
Latest 12 of 20 meetings.
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
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
Timo Meier
3games (2 left)
4.1proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs COL
- Thu, Oct 22 vs ANA2.0 ptsOpp allows 12th-most FP to RWLikely vs Lukas Dostal (.888)
- Sat, Oct 24 vs LAK2.1 ptsOpp allows 4th-most FP to RWLikely vs Darcy Kuemper (.891)
Valeri Nichushkin
2games (1 left)
1.3proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Oct 20 vs TOR
- Sat, Oct 24 vs VGK1.3 ptsOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to RWLikely vs Carter Hart (.891)
Similar matchups
FAQ
- Should I start Timo Meier or Valeri Nichushkin in fantasy hockey?
- Blending 2025-26 with 2026-27 so far, Timo Meier projects to 1.65 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Valeri Nichushkin's 1.41. Meier had 44 points in 77 games; Nichushkin had 49 in 72 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, Timo Meier or Valeri Nichushkin?
- On 2025-26 numbers, Valeri Nichushkin leads in 20 of 34 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Meier and Nichushkin done against each other?
- In 20 games against each other in our data, Meier's team went 4–16. Meier had 15 points (6 goals) and Nichushkin had 14 (6 goals).
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 →