Brandin Podziemski vs Neemias Queta: who to start in Week 1
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Neemias Queta 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 55.0 for Neemias Queta. Over the season, Brandin Podziemski leads in points leagues (27.7 fantasy points a game to 27.5) and Neemias Queta in 9-cat leagues (57th against 116th). 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 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #108
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.12, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #116
- -1.6 z, slot 10.08, $7
Day to day (Back)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #110
- 27.5 FP/G, slot 10.02, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #57
- +0.0 z, slot 5.09, $16
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.5, 108th on our board to 110th.
9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (57th to 116th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Neemias Queta in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Neemias Queta produces more: 39.4 fantasy points to 35.0, on 25.1 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), Neemias Queta 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 55.0 for Neemias Queta.
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 | Neemias Queta |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.5 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 25.1 |
| PointsPTS | 13.8 | 9.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 8.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 64.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.7% | 69.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 76 |
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 | Neemias Queta |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.0 | 39.4 |
| Points | 17.5 | 14.0 |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 11.6 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.9 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 1.4 |
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 | Neemias Queta |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +1.0 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +1.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +1.1 |
| Total | -1.6 | +0.0 |
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 blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Brandin Podziemski.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Neemias Queta |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#118) | +1.2 (#30) |
| REB | -1.4 (#114) | -1.3 (#108) |
| AST | -1.7 (#132) | +1.0 (#33) |
| STL | -1.8 (#134) | +0.6 (#44) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#77) | -1.7 (#118) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#134) | +1.7 (#29) |
| FG% | -1.2 (#95) | -2.1 (#125) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#121) | +0.8 (#41) |
| TO | -2.0 (#110) | -1.2 (#91) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Neemias Queta: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
- Neemias Queta: 18.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.5 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 Neemias Queta playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski, Neemias Queta
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Neemias Queta?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.5, 108th on our board to 110th. 9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (57th to 116th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Neemias Queta?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Neemias Queta in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brandin Podziemski or Neemias Queta?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Neemias Queta 2. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 55.0 for Neemias Queta.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number