Brandin Podziemski vs Jusuf Nurkić: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Jusuf Nurkić in points leagues (33.5 fantasy points a game to 27.7) and Brandin Podziemski in 9-cat leagues (114th against 115th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #113
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 10.05, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #114
- -1.7 z, slot 10.06, $6
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #62
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 6.02, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #115
- -1.7 z, slot 10.07, $6
Out (Foot)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 62nd on our board to 113th.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (114th to 115th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 35.0, on 26.4 minutes a night against 28.5. 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), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Brandin Podziemski | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 33.5 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.8 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 10.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.7% | 54.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 41 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.0 | 45.6 |
| Points | 17.5 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 6.5 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 3.4 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +2.0 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -0.8 |
| Total | -1.7 | -1.7 |
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, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jusuf Nurkić.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.3 (#118) | -0.9 (#102) |
| REB | -1.5 (#116) | -4.3 (#267) |
| AST | -1.8 (#135) | -2.4 (#167) |
| STL | -1.9 (#137) | -2.5 (#164) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#82) | -1.9 (#122) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#136) | -0.6 (#84) |
| FG% | -1.4 (#97) | -3.0 (#156) |
| FT% | -1.8 (#125) | +0.4 (#51) |
| TO | -2.1 (#112) | -1.1 (#83) |
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)
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL), listed Out.
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 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 Brandin Podziemski or Jusuf Nurkić in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 62nd on our board to 113th. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (114th to 115th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Jusuf Nurkić?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brandin Podziemski or Jusuf Nurkić?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number