Brook Lopez vs Jarace Walker: who to start in Week 2
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jarace Walker 4. For that week alone, start Jarace Walker: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez. Over the season, Brook Lopez leads in both formats: 21.1 fantasy points a game to 21.1, and 141st against 266th 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 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #185
- 21.1 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #141
- -2.2 z, slot 12.09, $3
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #186
- 21.1 FP/G, slot 16.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #266
- -5.2 z, slot 23.02
The call
Points leagues: Brook Lopez. 21.1 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 185th on our board to 186th.
9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -5.2 (141st to 266th).
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 5 (BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jarace Walker in 3 (REB, AST and STL).
Per 36 minutes, Brook Lopez produces more: 34.5 fantasy points to 31.1, on 22.1 minutes a night against 24.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jarace Walker 4. For that week alone, start Jarace Walker: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
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 | Brook Lopez | Jarace Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.1 | 21.1 |
| Minutes | 22.1 | 24.5 |
| PointsPTS | 10.0 | 10.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| AssistsAST | 1.2 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 41.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 74.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Brook Lopez | Jarace Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.5 | 31.1 |
| Points | 16.4 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 3.0 |
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 | Brook Lopez | Jarace Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.2 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | -0.2 |
| Total | -2.2 | -5.2 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Brook Lopez stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Brook Lopez | Jarace Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#113) | -4.1 (#281) |
| REB | -1.6 (#121) | -5.1 (#296) |
| AST | -1.1 (#103) | -4.5 (#266) |
| STL | -1.1 (#102) | -4.5 (#267) |
| BLK | -3.6 (#203) | -4.8 (#262) |
| 3PM | -2.2 (#150) | -5.0 (#278) |
| FG% | -2.3 (#133) | -4.3 (#222) |
| FT% | -2.2 (#148) | -4.9 (#254) |
| TO | -3.5 (#162) | -5.1 (#214) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Brook Lopez: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW).
- Jarace Walker: 4 games (Mon @MIL, Wed PHI, Fri @MIA, Sun BKN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Brook Lopez: 30.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 21.1 on the board.
- Jarace Walker: 10.3 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 21.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brook Lopez playing tonight? · Is Jarace Walker playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brook Lopez or Jarace Walker?
Points leagues: Brook Lopez. 21.1 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 185th on our board to 186th. 9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -5.2 (141st to 266th).
Who wins more categories, Brook Lopez or Jarace Walker?
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 5 (BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jarace Walker in 3 (REB, AST and STL).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brook Lopez or Jarace Walker?
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jarace Walker 4. For that week alone, start Jarace Walker: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number