Desmond Bane vs Donovan Clingan: who to start in Week 1
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 101.2 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan. Over the season, Donovan Clingan leads in both formats: 33.9 fantasy points a game to 33.7, and 34th against 35th 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, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #57
- 33.7 FP/G, slot 5.09, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #35
- +1.1 z, slot 3.11, $22
- Points leagues
- #56
- 33.9 FP/G, slot 5.08, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #34
- +1.2 z, slot 3.10, $22
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 33.9 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 56th on our board to 57th.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +1.1 (34th to 35th).
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Donovan Clingan in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Donovan Clingan produces more: 45.5 fantasy points to 36.2, on 26.8 minutes a night against 33.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 101.2 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan.
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 | Desmond Bane | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.7 | 33.9 |
| Minutes | 33.6 | 26.8 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 12.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 11.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.0 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.4% | 51.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.8% | 67.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 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 | Desmond Bane | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.2 | 45.5 |
| Points | 21.4 | 16.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.5 | 15.2 |
| Assists | 4.3 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.6 |
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 | Desmond Bane | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | +2.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | +1.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | +1.1 | +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, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Desmond Bane.
| Punt | Desmond Bane | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.5 (#46) | +1.9 (#20) |
| REB | +2.0 (#23) | -1.6 (#118) |
| AST | +0.8 (#39) | +2.0 (#24) |
| STL | +0.6 (#43) | +2.5 (#19) |
| BLK | +1.7 (#29) | -1.0 (#89) |
| 3PM | +0.5 (#49) | +1.7 (#27) |
| FG% | +1.6 (#34) | +0.4 (#53) |
| FT% | -0.2 (#69) | +2.3 (#22) |
| TO | +1.3 (#43) | +0.2 (#58) |
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)
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Donovan Clingan: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
Recent games
- Desmond Bane: 34.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.7 on the board.
- Donovan Clingan: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Desmond Bane playing tonight? · Is Donovan Clingan playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Desmond Bane, Donovan Clingan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Desmond Bane or Donovan Clingan?
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 33.9 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 56th on our board to 57th. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +1.1 (34th to 35th).
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Donovan Clingan?
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Donovan Clingan in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Desmond Bane or Donovan Clingan?
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 101.2 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number