Who to start · 2026-27
Timo Meier vs Zach Benson
In 2026-27, Zach Benson scored 1.58 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Timo Meier's 1.50.
Meier had 9 points in 21 games; Benson had 15 in 20 games.
This week Meier has no games left; Benson has no games left.
Zach Benson has the better number in 18 of the 30 stats both are ranked on.
Meier's biggest edges: Goals 4, Forecheck xG /60 0.26, High-danger chances 60.7%.
Benson's biggest edges: Offensive-zone start % 71.4%, Assists 13, Power-play time per game 3:45.
In standard categories (G, A, +/-, PPP, SOG, HIT), the default in Who Should I Start, Zach Benson rates ahead, +2.0 to +1.7 in summed category z-scores.
Role trend over the last 5 games: Meier is surging, 4 P in last 5 (0.35/GP before); Benson is steady, 1 P in last 5 (1.05/GP before).
- • Meier, last 10 games (Oct 27–Nov 14): 3 G, 2 A, 2 PPP, 34 SOG.
- • Benson, last 10 games (Oct 24–Nov 14): 2 G, 7 A, 2 PPP, 31 SOG.
New Jersey Devils · Buffalo Sabres · Who should I start? · Compare other players
Fantasy value: your scoring
Under Standard (6 categories), Zach Benson has the edge (Meier wins 3, Benson wins 3 of 6 categories).
| Category | Meier | Benson |
|---|---|---|
| Goals / game | 0.19 | 0.10 |
| Assists / game | 0.24 | 0.65 |
| Plus/minus / game | 0.00 | 0.45 |
| Power-play points / game | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Shots on goal / game | 3.81 | 2.50 |
| Hits / game | 1.71 | 1.10 |
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 Benson
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.
Meier 0G 2A, 13 SOG · Benson 1G 0A, 6 SOG
On the ice against each other (Meier's side)
6:04 at 5-on-5 over 2 games, 2025-26, from Meier's side
- Shot attempts
- 6–6
- 50.0%
- Expected goals
- 0.2–0.5
- 31.6%
- Goals
- 0–0
Games against each other
| Date | Score | Meier | Benson |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-21 | NJD 1–3 BUF | 0G 0A 7S | 1G 0A 1S |
| 2025-11-28 | NJD 5–0 BUF | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2025-02-02 | NJD 3–4 BUF | 0G 0A 4S | 0G 0A 1S |
| 2024-10-04 | NJD 4–1 BUF | 0G 0A 2S | 0G 0A 2S |
| 2024-03-29 | NJD 2–5 BUF | 0G 1A 0S | 0G 0A 1S |
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
Timo Meier
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Tue, Nov 10 @ WPGOpp allows 13th-most FP to RWLikely vs Nico Daws (.892)
- Thu, Nov 12 vs WSHOpp allows 3rd-most FP to RWLikely vs Logan Thompson (.889)
- Sat, Nov 14 @ WSHOpp allows 3rd-most FP to RWLikely vs Charlie Lindgren (.867)
Zach Benson
3games (0 left)
0.0proj. ESPN default pts
- Wed, Nov 11 vs TBLOpp allows 3rd-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (.889)
- Thu, Nov 12 @ CHIB2B
- Sat, Nov 14 @ DALOpp allows 4th-fewest FP to LWLikely vs Jake Oettinger (.902)
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 Timo Meier or Zach Benson in fantasy hockey?
- In 2026-27, Zach Benson scored 1.58 fantasy points per game under ESPN default scoring to Timo Meier's 1.50. Meier had 9 points in 21 games; Benson had 15 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, Timo Meier or Zach Benson?
- On 2026-27 numbers, Zach Benson leads in 18 of 30 stats where both qualify, from scoring and power-play production to on-ice shot share and NHL EDGE tracking.
- How have Meier and Benson done against each other?
- In 5 games against each other in our data, Meier's team went 2–3. Meier had 2 points (0 goals) and Benson had 1 (1 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 →