Alex Caruso vs Zaccharie Risacher: who to start in Week 2
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zaccharie Risacher 3. For that week alone, start Zaccharie Risacher: 62.3 projected fantasy points to 54.9 for Alex Caruso. Over the season, Zaccharie Risacher leads in both formats: 20.8 fantasy points a game to 18.3, and 173rd against 174th in 9-cat. 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, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #227
- 18.3 FP/G, slot 19.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #174
- -3.0 z, slot 15.06
- Points leagues
- #189
- 20.8 FP/G, slot 16.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #173
- -3.0 z, slot 15.05
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zaccharie Risacher. 20.8 fantasy points per game against 18.3, 189th on our board to 227th.
9-cat leagues: Zaccharie Risacher again, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (173rd to 174th).
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Zaccharie Risacher in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Alex Caruso produces more: 34.8 fantasy points to 31.5, on 18.9 minutes a night against 23.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zaccharie Risacher 3. For that week alone, start Zaccharie Risacher: 62.3 projected fantasy points to 54.9 for Alex Caruso.
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 | Alex Caruso | Zaccharie Risacher |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 18.3 | 20.8 |
| Minutes | 18.9 | 23.8 |
| PointsPTS | 6.7 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.3 | 4.1 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.8% | 44.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.2% | 70.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 67 |
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 | Alex Caruso | Zaccharie Risacher |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.8 | 31.5 |
| Points | 12.8 | 14.3 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 4.4 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 2.5 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.4 |
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 | Alex Caruso | Zaccharie Risacher |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.7 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | +0.7 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | +0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.2 |
| Total | -3.0 | -3.0 |
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, rebounds, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Alex Caruso.
| Punt | Alex Caruso | Zaccharie Risacher |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#130) | -1.8 (#156) |
| REB | -2.0 (#139) | -2.5 (#164) |
| AST | -2.4 (#172) | -1.9 (#143) |
| STL | -3.8 (#225) | -3.3 (#198) |
| BLK | -2.6 (#157) | -3.3 (#186) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#162) | -2.6 (#171) |
| FG% | -2.8 (#156) | -2.7 (#148) |
| FT% | -3.0 (#178) | -2.6 (#162) |
| TO | -4.5 (#195) | -4.3 (#183) |
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)
- Alex Caruso: 3 games (Mon PHX, Wed @DAL, Sat @HOU), 1 back-to-back.
- Zaccharie Risacher: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
Recent games
- Alex Caruso: 27.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 18.3 on the board.
- Zaccharie Risacher: 28.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Caruso playing tonight? · Is Zaccharie Risacher playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zaccharie Risacher
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Caruso or Zaccharie Risacher?
Points leagues: Zaccharie Risacher. 20.8 fantasy points per game against 18.3, 189th on our board to 227th. 9-cat leagues: Zaccharie Risacher again, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (173rd to 174th).
Who wins more categories, Alex Caruso or Zaccharie Risacher?
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Zaccharie Risacher in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Alex Caruso or Zaccharie Risacher?
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zaccharie Risacher 3. For that week alone, start Zaccharie Risacher: 62.3 projected fantasy points to 54.9 for Alex Caruso.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number