Anthony Davis vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 135.1 projected fantasy points to 122.0 for Lauri Markkanen. Over the season, Anthony Davis leads in points leagues (45.0 fantasy points a game to 40.7) and Lauri Markkanen in 9-cat leagues (11th against 13th). 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
- #11
- 45.0 FP/G, slot 1.11, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #13
- +3.5 z, slot 2.01, $34
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #23
- 40.7 FP/G, slot 2.11, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $36
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 45.0 fantasy points per game against 40.7, 11th on our board to 23rd.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +3.5 (11th to 13th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Anthony Davis produces more: 51.5 fantasy points to 42.5, on 31.5 minutes a night against 34.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 135.1 projected fantasy points to 122.0 for Lauri Markkanen.
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 Davis | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.0 | 40.7 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 34.5 |
| PointsPTS | 21.2 | 26.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.1 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.9% | 47.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.9% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 20 | 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 | Anthony Davis | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 51.5 | 42.5 |
| Points | 24.3 | 27.4 |
| Rebounds | 12.7 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 1.7 |
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 | Anthony Davis | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.4 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.9 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.6 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| Total | +3.5 | +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 points, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Anthony Davis.
| Punt | Anthony Davis | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.6 (#9) | +2.0 (#17) |
| REB | +0.8 (#40) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +3.8 (#10) | +4.4 (#6) |
| STL | +3.0 (#15) | +3.9 (#9) |
| BLK | +1.3 (#34) | +4.1 (#10) |
| 3PM | +4.5 (#6) | +2.5 (#19) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#25) | +4.7 (#9) |
| FT% | +4.3 (#8) | +1.6 (#31) |
| TO | +3.8 (#18) | +3.4 (#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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Anthony Davis: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Anthony Davis: 60.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 45.0 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 33.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 40.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Davis or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 45.0 fantasy points per game against 40.7, 11th on our board to 23rd. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +3.5 (11th to 13th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Anthony Davis 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, Anthony Davis or Lauri Markkanen?
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 135.1 projected fantasy points to 122.0 for Lauri Markkanen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number