Christian Braun vs Jakob Poeltl: who to start in Week 2
Christian Braun plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Christian Braun: 71.2 projected fantasy points to 70.9 for Jakob Poeltl. Over the season, Christian Braun leads in points leagues (23.7 fantasy points a game to 23.6) and Jakob Poeltl in 9-cat leagues (137th against 159th). 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #148
- 23.7 FP/G, slot 13.04, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #159
- -2.6 z, slot 14.03
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #150
- 23.6 FP/G, slot 13.06, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #137
- -2.2 z, slot 12.05, $3
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Christian Braun. 23.7 fantasy points per game against 23.6, 148th on our board to 150th.
9-cat leagues: Jakob Poeltl instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.6 (137th to 159th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Christian Braun is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jakob Poeltl in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jakob Poeltl produces more: 34.6 fantasy points to 26.3, on 24.6 minutes a night against 32.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Christian Braun plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Christian Braun: 71.2 projected fantasy points to 70.9 for Jakob Poeltl.
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 | Christian Braun | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 23.7 | 23.6 |
| Minutes | 32.4 | 24.6 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.0 | 6.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.0% | 68.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 60.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 44 | 46 |
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 | Christian Braun | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 26.3 | 34.6 |
| Points | 13.0 | 13.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.5 | 9.9 |
| Assists | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 1.7 |
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 | Christian Braun | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | -1.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | +2.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -1.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.9 |
| Total | -2.6 | -2.2 |
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
Punting rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Christian Braun.
| Punt | Christian Braun | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.8 (#158) | -1.0 (#103) |
| REB | -2.4 (#158) | -2.9 (#181) |
| AST | -2.1 (#158) | -1.2 (#110) |
| STL | -2.3 (#156) | -1.7 (#131) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#124) | -2.5 (#152) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#136) | -0.4 (#77) |
| FG% | -3.3 (#169) | -5.0 (#243) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#157) | -0.8 (#87) |
| TO | -3.6 (#161) | -3.2 (#146) |
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)
- Christian Braun: 3 games (Mon GSW, Wed @NOP, Fri @PHX).
- Jakob Poeltl: 3 games (Wed ORL, Fri ORL, Sun @LAL).
Recent games
- Christian Braun: 24.0 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 23.7 on the board.
- Jakob Poeltl: 13.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 23.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Christian Braun playing tonight? · Is Jakob Poeltl playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Christian Braun
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Christian Braun or Jakob Poeltl?
Points leagues: Christian Braun. 23.7 fantasy points per game against 23.6, 148th on our board to 150th. 9-cat leagues: Jakob Poeltl instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.6 (137th to 159th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Christian Braun or Jakob Poeltl?
Category by category, Christian Braun is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jakob Poeltl in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Christian Braun or Jakob Poeltl?
Christian Braun plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Christian Braun: 71.2 projected fantasy points to 70.9 for Jakob Poeltl.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number