Daniel Gafford vs Matas Buzelis: who to start in Week 2
Daniel Gafford plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Matas Buzelis: 87.7 projected fantasy points to 74.1 for Daniel Gafford. Over the season, Matas Buzelis leads in both formats: 29.2 fantasy points a game to 24.7, and 97th against 98th 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 28, 8:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #137
- 24.7 FP/G, slot 12.05, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #98
- -1.2 z, slot 9.02, $9
- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.07, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #97
- -1.2 z, slot 9.01, $9
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Matas Buzelis. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 24.7, 91st on our board to 137th.
9-cat leagues: Matas Buzelis again, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (97th to 98th).
Category by category, Daniel Gafford is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Daniel Gafford produces more: 41.1 fantasy points to 37.3, on 21.6 minutes a night against 28.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Daniel Gafford plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Matas Buzelis: 87.7 projected fantasy points to 74.1 for Daniel Gafford.
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 | Daniel Gafford | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.7 | 29.2 |
| Minutes | 21.6 | 28.3 |
| PointsPTS | 8.9 | 15.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 65.1% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 66.8% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 55 | 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 | Daniel Gafford | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.1 | 37.3 |
| Points | 14.8 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 11.1 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 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 | Daniel Gafford | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.5 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.6 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.1 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.2 | -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 points, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Daniel Gafford.
| Punt | Daniel Gafford | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#55) | -1.1 (#114) |
| REB | -1.9 (#136) | -1.3 (#103) |
| AST | -0.1 (#55) | -0.4 (#70) |
| STL | -0.8 (#86) | -0.3 (#66) |
| BLK | -3.0 (#171) | -2.8 (#163) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#43) | -1.6 (#114) |
| FG% | -3.3 (#174) | -0.6 (#78) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#61) | -1.3 (#108) |
| TO | -2.2 (#117) | -0.9 (#79) |
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)
- Daniel Gafford: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
- Matas Buzelis: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- Daniel Gafford: 26.3 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 24.7 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 Daniel Gafford playing tonight? · Is Matas Buzelis playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Matas Buzelis
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Daniel Gafford or Matas Buzelis?
Points leagues: Matas Buzelis. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 24.7, 91st on our board to 137th. 9-cat leagues: Matas Buzelis again, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (97th to 98th).
Who wins more categories, Daniel Gafford or Matas Buzelis?
Category by category, Daniel Gafford is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Daniel Gafford or Matas Buzelis?
Daniel Gafford plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Matas Buzelis: 87.7 projected fantasy points to 74.1 for Daniel Gafford.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 8:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number