CJ McCollum vs Nikola Vučević: who to start in Week 1
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in both formats: 29.0 fantasy points a game to 29.0, and 77th against 119th 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #93
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.09, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #119
- -1.8 z, slot 10.11, $5
- Points leagues
- #92
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.08, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #77
- -0.7 z, slot 7.05, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 92nd on our board to 93rd.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (77th to 119th).
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Nikola Vučević in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.8 fantasy points to 36.0, on 25.6 minutes a night against 29.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | CJ McCollum | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 29.0 | 25.6 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 13.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.0 | 7.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.6% | 49.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.3% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 76 | 64 |
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 | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.0 | 40.8 |
| Points | 22.7 | 18.7 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 10.7 |
| Assists | 4.4 | 4.2 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | CJ McCollum | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.9 |
| Total | -1.8 | -0.7 |
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 flips the 9-cat answer to CJ McCollum.
| Punt | CJ McCollum | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.2 (#179) | -0.2 (#65) |
| REB | -0.7 (#81) | -1.7 (#124) |
| AST | -1.9 (#142) | -0.5 (#71) |
| STL | -1.0 (#95) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | -1.4 (#104) | -0.7 (#80) |
| 3PM | -2.8 (#175) | -0.5 (#79) |
| FG% | -1.5 (#100) | -1.0 (#85) |
| FT% | -1.8 (#129) | -0.9 (#89) |
| TO | -2.0 (#109) | -1.7 (#100) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- CJ McCollum: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- CJ McCollum: 21.0 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Nikola Vučević: 2.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is CJ McCollum playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Rookie cards: CJ McCollum
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, CJ McCollum or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 92nd on our board to 93rd. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (77th to 119th).
Who wins more categories, CJ McCollum or Nikola Vučević?
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Nikola Vučević in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, CJ McCollum or Nikola Vučević?
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number