Bam Adebayo vs LaMelo Ball: who to start in Week 1
Bam Adebayo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LaMelo Ball 3. For that week alone, start Bam Adebayo: 118.1 projected fantasy points to 112.5 for LaMelo Ball. Over the season, Bam Adebayo leads in both formats: 39.4 fantasy points a game to 37.5, and 34th against 36th 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
- #28
- 39.4 FP/G, slot 3.04, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #34
- +1.2 z, slot 3.10, $22
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #38
- 37.5 FP/G, slot 4.02, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #36
- +1.1 z, slot 3.12, $22
The call
Points leagues: Bam Adebayo. 39.4 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 28th on our board to 38th.
9-cat leagues: Bam Adebayo again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +1.1 (34th to 36th).
Category by category, Bam Adebayo is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, LaMelo Ball produces more: 48.6 fantasy points to 44.6, on 27.8 minutes a night against 31.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bam Adebayo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LaMelo Ball 3. For that week alone, start Bam Adebayo: 118.1 projected fantasy points to 112.5 for LaMelo Ball.
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 | Bam Adebayo | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.4 | 37.5 |
| Minutes | 31.8 | 27.8 |
| PointsPTS | 18.9 | 19.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.6 | 4.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.2 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 3.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.2% | 40.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.7% | 88.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 72 |
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 | Bam Adebayo | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.6 | 48.6 |
| Points | 21.4 | 25.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.9 | 6.0 |
| Assists | 3.6 | 9.0 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 4.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 3.5 |
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 | Bam Adebayo | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.8 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.2 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.8 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.0 | +2.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.1 | -2.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -1.0 |
| Total | +1.2 | +1.1 |
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, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to LaMelo Ball.
| Punt | Bam Adebayo | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.7 (#40) | +0.4 (#45) |
| REB | -0.8 (#85) | +1.7 (#27) |
| AST | +1.3 (#30) | -0.7 (#84) |
| STL | +0.3 (#53) | +0.3 (#54) |
| BLK | +1.1 (#36) | +2.1 (#26) |
| 3PM | +1.2 (#37) | -1.3 (#105) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#29) | +3.9 (#13) |
| FT% | +1.8 (#26) | +0.2 (#54) |
| TO | +0.9 (#47) | +2.2 (#35) |
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)
- Bam Adebayo: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- LaMelo Ball: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Bam Adebayo: 28.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.4 on the board.
- LaMelo Ball: 33.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 37.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Bam Adebayo playing tonight? · Is LaMelo Ball playing tonight?
Rookie cards: LaMelo Ball
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bam Adebayo or LaMelo Ball?
Points leagues: Bam Adebayo. 39.4 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 28th on our board to 38th. 9-cat leagues: Bam Adebayo again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +1.1 (34th to 36th).
Who wins more categories, Bam Adebayo or LaMelo Ball?
Category by category, Bam Adebayo is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bam Adebayo or LaMelo Ball?
Bam Adebayo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LaMelo Ball 3. For that week alone, start Bam Adebayo: 118.1 projected fantasy points to 112.5 for LaMelo Ball.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number