Brandin Podziemski vs Payton Pritchard: who to start in Week 3
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 88.1 for Brandin Podziemski. Over the season, Brandin Podziemski leads in points leagues (29.4 fantasy points a game to 29.3) and Payton Pritchard in 9-cat leagues (74th against 99th). 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 points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #100
- 29.3 FP/G, slot 9.04, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #74
- -0.5 z, slot 7.02, $12
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 29.3, 99th on our board to 100th.
9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (74th to 99th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Payton Pritchard in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Brandin Podziemski produces more: 35.6 fantasy points to 34.0, on 29.7 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 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 88.1 for Brandin Podziemski.
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 29.3 |
| Minutes | 29.7 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.5 | 16.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 4.2 | 4.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.7% | 46.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.8% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 79 |
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 34.0 |
| Points | 17.5 | 19.1 |
| Rebounds | 6.3 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.6 |
| Total | -1.3 | -0.5 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Brandin Podziemski.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#102) | -0.5 (#83) |
| REB | -1.1 (#98) | +0.4 (#49) |
| AST | -1.6 (#132) | -1.1 (#103) |
| STL | -1.5 (#115) | +0.2 (#56) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#80) | +0.4 (#48) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#121) | -1.5 (#119) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#91) | -0.0 (#58) |
| FT% | -1.0 (#96) | -1.3 (#107) |
| TO | -1.8 (#107) | -1.2 (#93) |
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.
- Payton Pritchard: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Brandin Podziemski or Payton Pritchard: the Week 3 start/sit call
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 29.4 on the board.
- Payton Pritchard: 22.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is Payton Pritchard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski, Payton Pritchard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Payton Pritchard?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 29.3, 99th on our board to 100th. 9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (74th to 99th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Payton Pritchard?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Payton Pritchard in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Brandin Podziemski or Payton Pritchard?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 88.1 for Brandin Podziemski.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number