Andre Drummond vs Tim Hardaway Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Tim Hardaway Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 69.0 projected fantasy points to 58.6 for Tim Hardaway Jr.. Over the season, Andre Drummond leads in both formats: 23.0 fantasy points a game to 19.5, and 182nd against 195th 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 22, 3:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #157
- 23.0 FP/G, slot 14.01
- 9-cat leagues
- #182
- -3.3 z, slot 16.02
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #212
- 19.5 FP/G, slot 18.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #195
- -3.6 z, slot 17.03
The call
Points leagues: Andre Drummond. 23.0 fantasy points per game against 19.5, 157th on our board to 212th.
9-cat leagues: Andre Drummond again, -3.3 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (182nd to 195th).
Category by category, Andre Drummond is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Tim Hardaway Jr. in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Andre Drummond produces more: 41.8 fantasy points to 27.0, on 19.8 minutes a night against 26.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Tim Hardaway Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 69.0 projected fantasy points to 58.6 for Tim Hardaway Jr..
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 | Andre Drummond | Tim Hardaway Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 23.0 | 19.5 |
| Minutes | 19.8 | 26.1 |
| PointsPTS | 6.7 | 12.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.0% | 43.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 60.9% | 81.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 63 | 80 |
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 | Andre Drummond | Tim Hardaway Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.8 | 27.0 |
| Points | 12.3 | 17.7 |
| Rebounds | 16.0 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 3.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 0.7 |
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 | Andre Drummond | Tim Hardaway Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.7 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.2 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +1.7 |
| Total | -3.3 | -3.6 |
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 rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Tim Hardaway Jr..
| Punt | Andre Drummond | Tim Hardaway Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#140) | -3.1 (#220) |
| REB | -5.0 (#296) | -2.3 (#150) |
| AST | -2.1 (#158) | -2.6 (#178) |
| STL | -2.2 (#152) | -2.5 (#164) |
| BLK | -4.0 (#233) | -2.6 (#155) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#140) | -4.8 (#265) |
| FG% | -3.6 (#185) | -2.8 (#154) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#149) | -3.8 (#216) |
| TO | -4.7 (#197) | -5.5 (#227) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Andre Drummond: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
- Tim Hardaway Jr.: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Andre Drummond: 43.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 23.0 on the board.
- Tim Hardaway Jr.: 12.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 19.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Andre Drummond playing tonight? · Is Tim Hardaway Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Andre Drummond or Tim Hardaway Jr.?
Points leagues: Andre Drummond. 23.0 fantasy points per game against 19.5, 157th on our board to 212th. 9-cat leagues: Andre Drummond again, -3.3 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (182nd to 195th).
Who wins more categories, Andre Drummond or Tim Hardaway Jr.?
Category by category, Andre Drummond is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Tim Hardaway Jr. in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Andre Drummond or Tim Hardaway Jr.?
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Tim Hardaway Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 69.0 projected fantasy points to 58.6 for Tim Hardaway Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number