Bam Adebayo vs Lauri Markkanen: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Lauri Markkanen in both formats: 41.2 fantasy points a game to 40.8 in points leagues, and 8th against 32nd in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.8 FP/G, slot 2.12, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #32
- +1.5 z, slot 3.08, $24
Day to day (Rest)
- Points leagues
- #23
- 41.2 FP/G, slot 2.11, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.2 z, slot 1.08, $38
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Lauri Markkanen. 41.2 fantasy points per game against 40.8, 23rd on our board to 24th.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +4.2 in summed z-scores against +1.5 (8th to 32nd).
Category by category, Bam Adebayo is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Bam Adebayo produces more: 45.4 fantasy points to 43.1, on 32.4 minutes a night against 34.4. 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), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 123.5 projected fantasy points to 122.4 for Bam Adebayo.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Bam Adebayo | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.8 | 41.2 |
| Minutes | 32.4 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 20.1 | 26.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.0 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.2 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.2% | 47.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.8% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 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 | Bam Adebayo | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.4 | 43.1 |
| Points | 22.3 | 28.0 |
| Rebounds | 11.1 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 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 | Bam Adebayo | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.9 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.2 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.0 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.1 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +0.5 |
| Total | +1.5 | +4.2 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Lauri Markkanen stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Bam Adebayo | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#37) | +2.3 (#12) |
| REB | -0.6 (#77) | +3.8 (#11) |
| AST | +1.7 (#26) | +4.8 (#6) |
| STL | +1.0 (#38) | +4.2 (#8) |
| BLK | +1.3 (#36) | +4.6 (#9) |
| 3PM | +1.3 (#33) | +2.8 (#15) |
| FG% | +2.3 (#26) | +5.0 (#8) |
| FT% | +1.8 (#26) | +2.1 (#23) |
| TO | +1.2 (#46) | +3.8 (#19) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Bam Adebayo: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Bam Adebayo: 44.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 40.8 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 36.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 41.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Bam Adebayo or Lauri Markkanen in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Lauri Markkanen. 41.2 fantasy points per game against 40.8, 23rd on our board to 24th. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +4.2 in summed z-scores against +1.5 (8th to 32nd).
Who wins more categories, Bam Adebayo or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Bam Adebayo is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bam Adebayo or Lauri Markkanen?
Bam Adebayo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 123.5 projected fantasy points to 122.4 for Bam Adebayo.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number