Andrew Nembhard vs Jusuf Nurkić: who to start in Week 1
Andrew Nembhard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Nembhard: 98.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić. Over the season, Jusuf Nurkić leads in points leagues (33.5 fantasy points a game to 32.7) and Andrew Nembhard in 9-cat leagues (115th against 117th). 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, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #64
- 32.7 FP/G, slot 6.04, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #115
- -1.6 z, slot 10.07, $7
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #59
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 5.11, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #117
- -1.6 z, slot 10.09, $7
Out (Foot)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 32.7, 59th on our board to 64th.
9-cat leagues: Andrew Nembhard instead, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (115th to 117th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Andrew Nembhard is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 37.3, on 26.4 minutes a night against 31.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Andrew Nembhard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Nembhard: 98.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Andrew Nembhard | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.7 | 33.5 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 17.0 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.8 | 10.4 |
| AssistsAST | 7.8 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.0% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 54.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 41 |
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 | Andrew Nembhard | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.3 | 45.6 |
| Points | 19.4 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.2 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 8.9 | 6.5 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 3.4 |
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 | Andrew Nembhard | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.1 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.4 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | +2.1 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -0.8 |
| Total | -1.6 | -1.6 |
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 points, assists, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jusuf Nurkić.
| Punt | Andrew Nembhard | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#148) | -0.7 (#93) |
| REB | -0.3 (#64) | -4.2 (#260) |
| AST | -3.8 (#233) | -2.2 (#162) |
| STL | -1.4 (#114) | -2.3 (#158) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#74) | -1.7 (#120) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#130) | -0.5 (#75) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#87) | -2.7 (#148) |
| FT% | -2.1 (#141) | +0.6 (#46) |
| TO | -1.0 (#81) | -0.9 (#77) |
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)
- Andrew Nembhard: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
- Jusuf Nurkić: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL), listed Out.
Recent games
- Andrew Nembhard: 34.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 32.7 on the board.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Andrew Nembhard playing tonight? · Is Jusuf Nurkić playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jusuf Nurkić
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Andrew Nembhard or Jusuf Nurkić?
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 32.7, 59th on our board to 64th. 9-cat leagues: Andrew Nembhard instead, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (115th to 117th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Andrew Nembhard or Jusuf Nurkić?
Category by category, Andrew Nembhard is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Andrew Nembhard or Jusuf Nurkić?
Andrew Nembhard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Nembhard: 98.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number