Cooper Flagg vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 122.0 projected fantasy points to 121.3 for Cooper Flagg. Over the season, Lauri Markkanen leads in both formats: 40.7 fantasy points a game to 40.4, and 11th against 28th 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.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #26
- 40.4 FP/G, slot 3.02, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #28
- +1.8 z, slot 3.04, $25
- Points leagues
- #23
- 40.7 FP/G, slot 2.11, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $36
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.7 fantasy points per game against 40.4, 23rd on our board to 26th.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +1.8 (11th to 28th).
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cooper Flagg produces more: 43.5 fantasy points to 42.5, on 33.5 minutes a night against 34.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 122.0 projected fantasy points to 121.3 for Cooper Flagg.
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 | Cooper Flagg | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.4 | 40.7 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 34.5 |
| PointsPTS | 21.7 | 26.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.6 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 4.4 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 47.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.0% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 70 | 42 |
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 | Cooper Flagg | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.5 | 42.5 |
| Points | 23.4 | 27.4 |
| Rebounds | 7.1 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.1 | 2.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Cooper Flagg | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.3 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.5 | +2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | +0.3 |
| Total | +1.8 | +3.8 |
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: Lauri Markkanen stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Cooper Flagg | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.9 (#38) | +2.0 (#17) |
| REB | +1.4 (#32) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +1.4 (#29) | +4.4 (#6) |
| STL | +1.0 (#33) | +3.9 (#9) |
| BLK | +1.2 (#35) | +4.1 (#10) |
| 3PM | +2.3 (#21) | +2.5 (#19) |
| FG% | +2.0 (#31) | +4.7 (#9) |
| FT% | +1.2 (#34) | +1.6 (#31) |
| TO | +2.6 (#30) | +3.4 (#20) |
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)
- Cooper Flagg: 3 games (Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Cooper Flagg: 49.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 40.4 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 33.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 40.7 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cooper Flagg
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cooper Flagg or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.7 fantasy points per game against 40.4, 23rd on our board to 26th. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +1.8 (11th to 28th).
Who wins more categories, Cooper Flagg or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cooper Flagg or Lauri Markkanen?
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 122.0 projected fantasy points to 121.3 for Cooper Flagg.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number