Anthony Edwards vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Edwards: 134.4 projected fantasy points to 120.1 for Lauri Markkanen. Over the season, Anthony Edwards leads in both formats: 44.8 fantasy points a game to 40.0, and 9th against 11th 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, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #11
- 44.8 FP/G, slot 1.11, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #9
- +4.1 z, slot 1.09, $39
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #25
- 40.0 FP/G, slot 3.01, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $37
The call
Points leagues: Anthony Edwards. 44.8 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 11th on our board to 25th.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Edwards again, +4.1 in summed z-scores against +3.8 (9th to 11th).
Category by category, Anthony Edwards is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 3 (REB, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Anthony Edwards produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 41.9, on 34.8 minutes a night against 34.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Edwards: 134.4 projected fantasy points to 120.1 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 Edwards | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 44.8 | 40.0 |
| Minutes | 34.8 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 28.9 | 25.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.5% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 61 | 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 Edwards | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.3 | 41.9 |
| Points | 29.9 | 26.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.4 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 3.7 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 3.0 | 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 | Anthony Edwards | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +2.2 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.4 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +2.1 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | +2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.2 | +0.4 |
| Total | +4.1 | +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, assists, steals, blocks, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Lauri Markkanen.
| Punt | Anthony Edwards | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.7 (#23) | +2.1 (#17) |
| REB | +4.3 (#9) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +3.8 (#8) | +4.4 (#7) |
| STL | +2.5 (#19) | +4.0 (#8) |
| BLK | +4.0 (#10) | +4.2 (#8) |
| 3PM | +1.8 (#27) | +2.5 (#21) |
| FG% | +4.4 (#10) | +4.8 (#9) |
| FT% | +3.8 (#8) | +1.7 (#28) |
| TO | +5.4 (#9) | +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)
- Anthony Edwards: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Anthony Edwards: 51.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 44.8 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 Anthony Edwards playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Anthony Edwards
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Edwards or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Anthony Edwards. 44.8 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 11th on our board to 25th. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Edwards again, +4.1 in summed z-scores against +3.8 (9th to 11th).
Who wins more categories, Anthony Edwards or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Anthony Edwards is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 3 (REB, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anthony Edwards or Lauri Markkanen?
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Edwards: 134.4 projected fantasy points to 120.1 for Lauri Markkanen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number