CJ McCollum vs Matas Buzelis: who to start in Week 2
CJ McCollum plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis. Over the season, CJ McCollum leads in points leagues (29.3 fantasy points a game to 29.2) and Matas Buzelis in 9-cat leagues (96th against 103rd). 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, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.3 FP/G, slot 8.07, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #103
- -1.3 z, slot 9.07, $8
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #92
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.08, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #96
- -1.2 z, slot 8.12, $9
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: CJ McCollum. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 91st on our board to 92nd.
9-cat leagues: Matas Buzelis instead, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (96th to 103rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 3 (REB, BLK and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Matas Buzelis produces more: 37.3 fantasy points to 36.2, on 28.3 minutes a night against 29.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
CJ McCollum plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis.
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 | CJ McCollum | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.3 | 29.2 |
| Minutes | 29.1 | 28.3 |
| PointsPTS | 18.4 | 15.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.8% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.3% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 76 | 77 |
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 | CJ McCollum | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Points | 22.8 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 3.6 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 4.4 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.7 |
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 | CJ McCollum | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | +0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.3 | -1.2 |
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 and blocks flips the 9-cat answer to CJ McCollum.
| Punt | CJ McCollum | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.8 (#156) | -1.1 (#111) |
| REB | -0.1 (#62) | -1.3 (#105) |
| AST | -1.5 (#125) | -0.4 (#69) |
| STL | -0.9 (#92) | -0.3 (#66) |
| BLK | -0.9 (#87) | -2.8 (#161) |
| 3PM | -2.5 (#161) | -1.6 (#118) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#88) | -0.6 (#76) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#111) | -1.3 (#107) |
| TO | -1.6 (#100) | -0.9 (#77) |
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)
- CJ McCollum: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIA, Thu CLE, Sat @NOP), 1 back-to-back.
- Matas Buzelis: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- CJ McCollum: 24.2 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board.
- Matas Buzelis: 23.0 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is CJ McCollum playing tonight? · Is Matas Buzelis playing tonight?
Rookie cards: CJ McCollum, Matas Buzelis
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, CJ McCollum or Matas Buzelis?
Points leagues: CJ McCollum. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 91st on our board to 92nd. 9-cat leagues: Matas Buzelis instead, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (96th to 103rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, CJ McCollum or Matas Buzelis?
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 3 (REB, BLK and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, CJ McCollum or Matas Buzelis?
CJ McCollum plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number