Auston Matthews or Kyle Connor? Week 3
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Kyle Connor. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.9 fantasy points to 2.8. Who to start in fantasy hockey in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), Cs ranked 2nd and 7th at the position.
The Week 3 call
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Kyle Connor. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.9 fantasy points to 2.8.
Categories leagues: Auston Matthews instead, 8.3 category value for the week to 6.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Over TOR's last 5 games Auston Matthews played 5 games, 22:08 a night with 4:01 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
Over WPG's last 5 games Kyle Connor played 5 games, 21:22 a night with 3:15 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Week 3 (Oct 12-18), side by side
| This week | Auston Matthews | Kyle Connor |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Line by ice time | Line 1 | Line 1 |
| Power-play unit | PP1 | PP1 |
| TOI, last games | 22:08 (5) | 21:22 (5) |
| TOI, board | 21:08 | 21:29 |
| PP TOI, last games | 4:01 | 3:15 |
| Shots, last games | 3.6 | 5.4 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| Projected category value | 8.3 | 6.7 |
Schedule: Auston Matthews Tue @UTA, Thu BUF, Sat NYI. Kyle Connor Tue MIN, Thu @CHI, Sat CAR.
Projections are the board's per-game value times the games counted. A skater listed out, or who missed his team's last three games, counts none. A goalie counts his team's games times his share of its recent starts. Lines and power-play units are by ice time over the team's last five games. Stats and schedule from the NHL; injury designations from ESPN's public NHL injury list.
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The rest-of-season call
Season-long, points leagues: Kyle Connor, 2.87 fantasy points per game to 2.77.
Categories leagues: Auston Matthews instead, 20th overall against 32nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
| Category (z per game) | Auston Matthews | Kyle Connor |
|---|---|---|
| A assists | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| G goals | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| +/- plus-minus | -0.3 | -0.7 |
| BLK blocked shots | 0.9 | -0.8 |
| HIT hits | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| PPP power-play points | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| SOG shots on goal | 2.2 | 2.2 |
Other close calls
Week 3 streamers and goalie starts · NHL waiver wire · Rest-of-season rankings
Common questions
Should I start Auston Matthews or Kyle Connor in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Kyle Connor. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.9 fantasy points to 2.8. Categories leagues: Auston Matthews instead, 8.3 category value for the week to 6.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Over TOR's last 5 games Auston Matthews played 5 games, 22:08 a night with 4:01 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit. Over WPG's last 5 games Kyle Connor played 5 games, 21:22 a night with 3:15 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
Who is better for the rest of the season, Auston Matthews or Kyle Connor?
Season-long, points leagues: Kyle Connor, 2.87 fantasy points per game to 2.77. Categories leagues: Auston Matthews instead, 20th overall against 32nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Auston Matthews or Kyle Connor?
Auston Matthews is ahead per game in 3 (plus-minus, blocked shots, hits); Kyle Connor in 4 (assists, goals, power-play points, shots on goal).
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 10:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number