Brandin Podziemski vs Isaiah Hartenstein: who to start in Week 2
Brandin Podziemski plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Isaiah Hartenstein 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 83.9 for Isaiah Hartenstein. Over the season, Brandin Podziemski leads in both formats: 28.0 fantasy points a game to 28.0, and 105th against 115th 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 26, 6:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #101
- 28.0 FP/G, slot 9.05, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.4 z, slot 9.09, $8
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #103
- 28.0 FP/G, slot 9.07, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #115
- -1.6 z, slot 10.07, $6
The call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 28.0 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 101st on our board to 103rd.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (105th to 115th).
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Isaiah Hartenstein in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Hartenstein produces more: 42.2 fantasy points to 35.1, on 23.9 minutes a night against 28.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brandin Podziemski plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Isaiah Hartenstein 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 83.9 for Isaiah Hartenstein.
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.0 | 28.0 |
| Minutes | 28.7 | 23.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.1 | 8.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.9 | 9.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.1% | 58.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.6% | 63.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 47 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.1 | 42.2 |
| Points | 17.6 | 13.4 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 13.6 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 4.9 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.7 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +1.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.4 | -1.6 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Hartenstein.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Isaiah Hartenstein |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#105) | -0.2 (#67) |
| REB | -1.1 (#100) | -3.3 (#208) |
| AST | -1.5 (#124) | -1.3 (#115) |
| STL | -1.9 (#137) | -1.3 (#115) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#77) | -2.0 (#132) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#123) | +0.3 (#51) |
| FG% | -0.9 (#86) | -3.2 (#169) |
| FT% | -1.5 (#117) | -0.4 (#74) |
| TO | -1.6 (#98) | -1.8 (#101) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Brandin Podziemski: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC).
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 3 games (Mon PHX, Wed @DAL, Sat @HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 32.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.0 on the board.
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 28.0 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 Isaiah Hartenstein playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Isaiah Hartenstein?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 28.0 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 101st on our board to 103rd. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (105th to 115th).
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Isaiah Hartenstein?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Isaiah Hartenstein in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brandin Podziemski or Isaiah Hartenstein?
Brandin Podziemski plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Isaiah Hartenstein 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 83.9 for Isaiah Hartenstein.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number