Brandin Podziemski vs Nic Claxton: who to start in Week 3
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 88.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton. Over the season, Nic Claxton leads in points leagues (29.5 fantasy points a game to 29.4) and Brandin Podziemski in 9-cat leagues (99th against 154th). 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #99
- 29.4 FP/G, slot 9.03, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #99
- -1.3 z, slot 9.03, $8
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #98
- 29.5 FP/G, slot 9.02, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #154
- -2.4 z, slot 13.10, $1
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 98th on our board to 99th.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (99th to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nic Claxton in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nic Claxton produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 35.6, on 27.8 minutes a night against 29.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 88.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
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 | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 29.5 |
| Minutes | 29.7 | 27.8 |
| PointsPTS | 14.5 | 11.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.7% | 57.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.8% | 61.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 69 |
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 | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 38.1 |
| Points | 17.5 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.3 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 4.7 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 1.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Brandin Podziemski | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +1.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.7 |
| Total | -1.3 | -2.4 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nic Claxton.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#102) | -1.6 (#144) |
| REB | -1.1 (#98) | -3.3 (#207) |
| AST | -1.6 (#132) | -2.5 (#177) |
| STL | -1.5 (#115) | -1.5 (#123) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#80) | -3.7 (#202) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#121) | -0.6 (#77) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#91) | -4.4 (#233) |
| FT% | -1.0 (#96) | -0.4 (#73) |
| TO | -1.8 (#107) | -3.3 (#150) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL), 1 back-to-back.
- Nic Claxton: 3 games (Mon @PHI, Wed @NYK, Sun PHI), listed Out.
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 29.4 on the board.
- Nic Claxton: 20.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is Nic Claxton playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Nic Claxton?
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 98th on our board to 99th. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (99th to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Nic Claxton?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nic Claxton in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Brandin Podziemski or Nic Claxton?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 88.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number