Brandin Podziemski vs DeMar DeRozan: who to start in Week 1
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 84.0 projected fantasy points to 59.2 for DeMar DeRozan. Over the season, DeMar DeRozan leads in both formats: 29.6 fantasy points a game to 28.0, and 105th against 106th 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, 4:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #103
- 28.0 FP/G, slot 9.07, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #106
- -1.4 z, slot 9.10, $8
- Points leagues
- #86
- 29.6 FP/G, slot 8.02, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.3 z, slot 9.09, $8
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.6 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 86th on our board to 103rd.
9-cat leagues: DeMar DeRozan again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (105th to 106th).
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and 3PM) and DeMar DeRozan in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Brandin Podziemski produces more: 35.1 fantasy points to 34.3, on 28.7 minutes a night against 31.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 84.0 projected fantasy points to 59.2 for DeMar DeRozan.
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 | Brandin Podziemski | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.0 | 29.6 |
| Minutes | 28.7 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.1 | 18.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.9 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.1% | 49.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.6% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 77 |
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 | Brandin Podziemski | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.1 | 34.3 |
| Points | 17.6 | 21.0 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 0.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 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 | Brandin Podziemski | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| Total | -1.4 | -1.3 |
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, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Brandin Podziemski.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#109) | -1.7 (#149) |
| REB | -1.0 (#97) | -0.1 (#59) |
| AST | -1.4 (#123) | -1.5 (#127) |
| STL | -1.9 (#137) | -1.3 (#112) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#76) | -0.6 (#79) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#124) | -0.4 (#74) |
| FG% | -0.9 (#84) | -1.9 (#118) |
| FT% | -1.5 (#114) | -2.2 (#148) |
| TO | -1.5 (#98) | -1.9 (#108) |
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)
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back.
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 32.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.0 on the board.
- DeMar DeRozan: 10.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is DeMar DeRozan playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski, DeMar DeRozan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or DeMar DeRozan?
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.6 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 86th on our board to 103rd. 9-cat leagues: DeMar DeRozan again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (105th to 106th).
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or DeMar DeRozan?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and 3PM) and DeMar DeRozan in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brandin Podziemski or DeMar DeRozan?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 84.0 projected fantasy points to 59.2 for DeMar DeRozan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 4:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number