John Carlson or Matthew Schaefer? Week 3
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Matthew Schaefer, narrowly. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.0 fantasy points to 1.9. Who to start in fantasy hockey in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), defensemen ranked 12th and 14th at the position.

- FP/G
- 1.94
- Games
- 2
- Week proj.
- 3.88
The Week 3 call
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Matthew Schaefer, narrowly. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.0 fantasy points to 1.9.
Categories leagues: Matthew Schaefer again, 1.3 category value for the week to -0.8.
Over TBL's last 5 games John Carlson played 5 games, 19:11 a night with 4:49 on the power play: pair 2 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
John Carlson's ice time is down: 19:11 over his last 5 games against 22:25 on the board.
Over NYI's last 5 games Matthew Schaefer played 5 games, 25:26 a night with 4:00 on the power play: pair 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 | John Carlson | Matthew Schaefer |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Line by ice time | Pair 2 | Pair 1 |
| Power-play unit | PP1 | PP1 |
| TOI, last games | 19:11 (5) | 25:26 (5) |
| TOI, board | 22:25 | 24:50 |
| PP TOI, last games | 4:49 | 4:00 |
| Shots, last games | 2.8 | 3.8 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| Projected category value | -0.8 | 1.3 |
Schedule: John Carlson Tue @NYR, Thu SEA, Sat VAN. Matthew Schaefer Tue VAN, Thu @OTT, Sat @TOR.
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: Matthew Schaefer, 1.97 fantasy points per game to 1.94.
Categories leagues: Matthew Schaefer again, 72nd overall against 94th.
| Category (z per game) | John Carlson | Matthew Schaefer |
|---|---|---|
| A assists | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| G goals | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| +/- plus-minus | -0.3 | 0.1 |
| BLK blocked shots | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| HIT hits | -0.7 | -0.7 |
| PPP power-play points | -0.4 | 0.1 |
| SOG shots on goal | 0.0 | 0.9 |
Other close calls
Week 3 streamers and goalie starts · NHL waiver wire · Rest-of-season rankings
Common questions
Should I start John Carlson or Matthew Schaefer in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Oct 12-18): start Matthew Schaefer, narrowly. Both count 2 games left in Week 3 (Oct 12-18), so it comes down to value per game: 2.0 fantasy points to 1.9. Categories leagues: Matthew Schaefer again, 1.3 category value for the week to -0.8. Over TBL's last 5 games John Carlson played 5 games, 19:11 a night with 4:49 on the power play: pair 2 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit. John Carlson's ice time is down: 19:11 over his last 5 games against 22:25 on the board. Over NYI's last 5 games Matthew Schaefer played 5 games, 25:26 a night with 4:00 on the power play: pair 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
Who is better for the rest of the season, John Carlson or Matthew Schaefer?
Season-long, points leagues: Matthew Schaefer, 1.97 fantasy points per game to 1.94. Categories leagues: Matthew Schaefer again, 72nd overall against 94th.
Who wins more categories, John Carlson or Matthew Schaefer?
John Carlson is ahead per game in 3 (assists, blocked shots, hits); Matthew Schaefer in 3 (plus-minus, 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
