Bilal Coulibaly vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Bilal Coulibaly plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 77.4 for Bilal Coulibaly. Over the season, Zach LaVine leads in both formats: 27.9 fantasy points a game to 25.8, and 104th against 105th 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #126
- 25.8 FP/G, slot 11.06, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.5 z, slot 9.09, $7
- 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 points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 102nd on our board to 126th.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (104th to 105th).
Category by category, Bilal Coulibaly is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Bilal Coulibaly produces more: 35.2 fantasy points to 31.4, on 26.3 minutes a night against 32.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bilal Coulibaly plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 77.4 for Bilal Coulibaly.
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 | Bilal Coulibaly | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.8 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 26.3 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 11.4 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.3 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.4% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.4% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 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 | Bilal Coulibaly | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.2 | 31.4 |
| Points | 15.6 | 22.4 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 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 | Bilal Coulibaly | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.9 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.5 | -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, assists, threes, field goal percentage and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Bilal Coulibaly.
| Punt | Bilal Coulibaly | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#90) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -1.0 (#94) | -0.2 (#57) |
| AST | -0.9 (#92) | -0.9 (#95) |
| STL | -2.7 (#173) | -0.8 (#85) |
| BLK | -2.4 (#150) | -0.7 (#78) |
| 3PM | -0.9 (#92) | -2.6 (#170) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#88) | -1.2 (#90) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#102) | -2.5 (#155) |
| TO | -2.3 (#117) | -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)
- Bilal Coulibaly: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Bilal Coulibaly: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 25.8 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 Bilal Coulibaly playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Bilal Coulibaly, Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bilal Coulibaly or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 102nd on our board to 126th. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (104th to 105th).
Who wins more categories, Bilal Coulibaly or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Bilal Coulibaly is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bilal Coulibaly or Zach LaVine?
Bilal Coulibaly plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 77.4 for Bilal Coulibaly.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number