Derik Queen vs Nic Claxton: who to start in Week 1
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton. Over the season, Nic Claxton leads in points leagues (29.5 fantasy points a game to 29.4) and Derik Queen in 9-cat leagues (99th against 134th). 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 24, 4:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #89
- 29.4 FP/G, slot 8.05, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #99
- -1.2 z, slot 9.03, $8
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #88
- 29.5 FP/G, slot 8.04, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #134
- -2.1 z, slot 12.02, $3
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 88th on our board to 89th.
9-cat leagues: Derik Queen instead, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (99th to 134th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nic Claxton in 4 (AST, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Derik Queen produces more: 42.7 fantasy points to 38.1, on 24.8 minutes a night against 27.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
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 | Derik Queen | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 29.5 |
| Minutes | 24.8 | 27.8 |
| PointsPTS | 11.6 | 11.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.2 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 57.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.2% | 61.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 69 |
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 | Derik Queen | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.7 | 38.1 |
| Points | 16.9 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 1.8 |
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 | Derik Queen | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +1.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | +0.6 |
| Total | -1.2 | -2.1 |
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 steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nic Claxton.
| Punt | Derik Queen | Nic Claxton |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#76) | -1.3 (#124) |
| REB | -2.1 (#135) | -3.1 (#196) |
| AST | -1.2 (#109) | -2.2 (#165) |
| STL | -1.6 (#123) | -1.2 (#104) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#133) | -3.4 (#188) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#57) | -0.4 (#76) |
| FG% | -1.4 (#98) | -4.3 (#220) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#111) | -0.1 (#67) |
| TO | -0.9 (#75) | -2.8 (#134) |
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)
- Derik Queen: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
- Nic Claxton: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Derik Queen: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.4 on the board.
- Nic Claxton: 20.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derik Queen playing tonight? · Is Nic Claxton playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Derik Queen
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derik Queen or Nic Claxton?
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 88th on our board to 89th. 9-cat leagues: Derik Queen instead, -1.2 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (99th to 134th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derik Queen or Nic Claxton?
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nic Claxton in 4 (AST, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derik Queen or Nic Claxton?
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nic Claxton 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 4:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number