Brandin Podziemski vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 82.3 for Zach LaVine. Over the season, Brandin Podziemski leads in both formats: 27.7 fantasy points a game to 27.4, and 116th against 128th 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 22, 1:54 PM 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 and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #111
- 27.4 FP/G, slot 10.03, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #128
- -2.0 z, slot 11.08, $4
The call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.4, 108th on our board to 111th.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (116th to 128th).
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and TO) and Zach LaVine in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Brandin Podziemski produces more: 35.0 fantasy points to 31.3, on 28.5 minutes a night against 31.5. 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), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 82.3 for Zach LaVine.
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.4 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 31.5 |
| PointsPTS | 13.8 | 19.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 48.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.7% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 39 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.0 | 31.3 |
| Points | 17.5 | 22.5 |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.3 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -0.2 |
| Total | -1.6 | -2.0 |
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 rebounds, assists, steals and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Zach LaVine.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#118) | -2.6 (#200) |
| REB | -1.4 (#114) | -0.7 (#76) |
| AST | -1.7 (#132) | -1.6 (#123) |
| STL | -1.8 (#134) | -1.2 (#98) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#77) | -1.1 (#93) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#134) | -3.1 (#189) |
| FG% | -1.2 (#95) | -1.9 (#119) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#121) | -2.8 (#168) |
| TO | -2.0 (#110) | -1.9 (#106) |
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.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.4 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 Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski, Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.4, 108th on our board to 111th. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (116th to 128th).
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and TO) and Zach LaVine in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 82.3 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number