Anthony Black vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Black plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Black: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine. Over the season, Anthony Black leads in points leagues (29.4 fantasy points a game to 27.9) and Zach LaVine in 9-cat leagues (104th against 121st). 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 25, 12:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #88
- 29.4 FP/G, slot 8.04, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #121
- -1.8 z, slot 11.01, $5
Game-time decision (Ankle)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #102
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.06, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #104
- -1.4 z, slot 9.08, $7
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anthony Black. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 88th on our board to 102nd.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (104th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anthony Black is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Anthony Black produces more: 35.5 fantasy points to 31.4, on 29.8 minutes a night against 32.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anthony Black plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Black: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine.
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 | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 29.8 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.8 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.7% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.2% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 39 |
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 | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.5 | 31.4 |
| Points | 18.1 | 22.4 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 4.4 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 2.3 |
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 | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.0 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.8 | -1.4 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Anthony Black.
| Punt | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#142) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -1.1 (#104) | -0.2 (#57) |
| AST | -2.0 (#149) | -0.9 (#95) |
| STL | -2.9 (#181) | -0.8 (#85) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#136) | -0.7 (#78) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#129) | -2.6 (#170) |
| FG% | -1.4 (#99) | -1.2 (#90) |
| FT% | -1.1 (#97) | -2.5 (#155) |
| TO | -1.6 (#99) | -1.2 (#86) |
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)
- Anthony Black: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK), listed GTD.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Anthony Black: 19.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.4 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Black playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Anthony Black, Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Black or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Anthony Black. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 88th on our board to 102nd. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (104th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Black or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Anthony Black is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anthony Black or Zach LaVine?
Anthony Black plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Black: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 12:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number