Pavel Zacha or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Week 4
Points leagues, Week 4 (Oct 19-25): start Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Both count 1 games left in Week 4 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to value per game: 1.9 fantasy points to 1.8. Who to start in fantasy hockey in Week 4 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 32nd and 43rd at the position.
Updated Oct 23, 12:49 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 4 call
Points leagues, Week 4 (Oct 19-25): start Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Both count 1 games left in Week 4 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to value per game: 1.9 fantasy points to 1.8.
Categories leagues: Pavel Zacha instead, -1.2 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there.
Over BOS's last 5 games Pavel Zacha played 4 games, 18:02 a night with 2:54 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit.
Over EDM's last 5 games Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played 1 game, 20:58 a night with 3:41 on the power play, no regular 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 4 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Pavel Zacha | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Line by ice time | Line 1 | - |
| Power-play unit | PP1 | None |
| TOI, last games | 18:02 (4) | 20:58 (1) |
| TOI, board | 17:18 | 19:09 |
| PP TOI, last games | 2:54 | 3:41 |
| Shots, last games | 1.8 | 4.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Projected category value | -1.2 | -1.3 |
Schedule: Pavel Zacha Tue @DAL, Thu NSH, Sat SJS. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Tue MIN, Thu CAR, 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: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 1.90 fantasy points per game to 1.76.
Categories leagues: Pavel Zacha instead, 115th overall against 118th, because the categories reward a different mix.
| Category (z per game) | Pavel Zacha | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins |
|---|---|---|
| A assists | -0.2 | 0.1 |
| G goals | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| +/- plus-minus | 0.5 | -1.0 |
| BLK blocked shots | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| HIT hits | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| PPP power-play points | 0.5 | 1.7 |
| SOG shots on goal | -1.1 | -0.6 |
Other close calls
Week 4 streamers and goalie starts · NHL waiver wire · Rest-of-season rankings
Common questions
Should I start Pavel Zacha or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in Week 4?
Points leagues, Week 4 (Oct 19-25): start Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Both count 1 games left in Week 4 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to value per game: 1.9 fantasy points to 1.8. Categories leagues: Pavel Zacha instead, -1.2 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there. Over BOS's last 5 games Pavel Zacha played 4 games, 18:02 a night with 2:54 on the power play: line 1 by even-strength ice time and the first power-play unit. Over EDM's last 5 games Ryan Nugent-Hopkins played 1 game, 20:58 a night with 3:41 on the power play, no regular power-play unit.
Who is better for the rest of the season, Pavel Zacha or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins?
Season-long, points leagues: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 1.90 fantasy points per game to 1.76. Categories leagues: Pavel Zacha instead, 115th overall against 118th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Pavel Zacha or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins?
Pavel Zacha is ahead per game in 3 (goals, plus-minus, hits); Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 4 (assists, blocked shots, power-play points, shots on goal).
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 12:49 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number