Al Horford vs Brook Lopez: who to start in Week 2
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brook Lopez 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 85.0 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez. Over the season, Al Horford leads in points leagues (21.3 fantasy points a game to 21.1) and Brook Lopez in 9-cat leagues (141st against 148th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 26, 10:30 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #183
- 21.3 FP/G, slot 16.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #148
- -2.3 z, slot 13.04, $2
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #185
- 21.1 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #141
- -2.2 z, slot 12.09, $3
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Al Horford. 21.3 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 183rd on our board to 185th.
9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (141st to 148th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Al Horford is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FT%) and Brook Lopez in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Al Horford produces more: 36.1 fantasy points to 34.5, on 21.2 minutes a night against 22.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brook Lopez 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 85.0 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Al Horford | Brook Lopez |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.3 | 21.1 |
| Minutes | 21.2 | 22.1 |
| PointsPTS | 7.5 | 10.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.2% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 77.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 75 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Al Horford | Brook Lopez |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 34.5 |
| Points | 12.7 | 16.4 |
| Rebounds | 8.2 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 4.1 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Al Horford | Brook Lopez |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.6 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | +1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.3 | -2.2 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting points, blocks, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Al Horford.
| Punt | Al Horford | Brook Lopez |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#94) | -1.2 (#113) |
| REB | -2.1 (#143) | -1.6 (#121) |
| AST | -1.7 (#134) | -1.1 (#103) |
| STL | -1.4 (#118) | -1.1 (#102) |
| BLK | -3.5 (#194) | -3.6 (#203) |
| 3PM | -2.2 (#149) | -2.2 (#150) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#107) | -2.3 (#133) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#156) | -2.2 (#148) |
| TO | -3.7 (#165) | -3.5 (#162) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Al Horford: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC).
- Brook Lopez: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW).
Recent games
- Al Horford: 12.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.3 on the board.
- Brook Lopez: 30.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 21.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Al Horford playing tonight? · Is Brook Lopez playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Al Horford or Brook Lopez?
Points leagues: Al Horford. 21.3 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 183rd on our board to 185th. 9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (141st to 148th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Al Horford or Brook Lopez?
Category by category, Al Horford is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FT%) and Brook Lopez in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Al Horford or Brook Lopez?
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brook Lopez 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 85.0 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number