Amen Thompson vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 119.4 for Amen Thompson. Over the season, Lauri Markkanen leads in both formats: 40.0 fantasy points a game to 39.8, and 11th against 26th 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 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #26
- 39.8 FP/G, slot 3.02, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #26
- +2.3 z, slot 3.02, $29
- Points leagues
- #25
- 40.0 FP/G, slot 3.01, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $37
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.0 fantasy points per game against 39.8, 25th on our board to 26th.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +2.3 (11th to 26th).
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Lauri Markkanen produces more: 41.9 fantasy points to 38.6, on 34.4 minutes a night against 37.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 119.4 for Amen Thompson.
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 | Amen Thompson | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.8 | 40.0 |
| Minutes | 37.1 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 18.2 | 25.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.6% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.1% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 42 |
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 | Amen Thompson | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.6 | 41.9 |
| Points | 17.7 | 26.8 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.6 |
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 | Amen Thompson | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | +0.4 |
| Total | +2.3 | +3.8 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Amen Thompson.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#19) | +2.1 (#17) |
| REB | +1.1 (#36) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +1.4 (#28) | +4.4 (#7) |
| STL | +1.0 (#35) | +4.0 (#8) |
| BLK | +2.2 (#24) | +4.2 (#8) |
| 3PM | +3.5 (#12) | +2.5 (#21) |
| FG% | +0.7 (#47) | +4.8 (#9) |
| FT% | +2.7 (#17) | +1.7 (#28) |
| TO | +2.8 (#24) | +3.5 (#20) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Amen Thompson: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 42.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.8 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 31.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.0 fantasy points per game against 39.8, 25th on our board to 26th. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +2.3 (11th to 26th).
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Amen Thompson or Lauri Markkanen?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 119.4 for Amen Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number