Desmond Bane vs Ivica Zubac: who to start in Week 1
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 95.9 for Ivica Zubac. Over the season, Desmond Bane leads in both formats: 32.0 fantasy points a game to 32.0, and 51st against 90th 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #67
- 32.0 FP/G, slot 6.07, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.2 z, slot 5.03, $17
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #68
- 32.0 FP/G, slot 6.08, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $9
The call
Points leagues: Desmond Bane. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 32.0, 67th on our board to 68th.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (51st to 90th).
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ivica Zubac in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 34.7, on 29.9 minutes a night against 33.2. 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), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 95.9 for Ivica Zubac.
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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.0 | 32.0 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 29.9 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 13.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 10.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.1% | 59.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.8% | 68.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 48 |
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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.7 | 38.4 |
| Points | 20.7 | 16.7 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 13.1 |
| Assists | 4.1 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.2 |
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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +2.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | -1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.1 |
| Total | +0.2 | -1.1 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Desmond Bane | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#73) | -0.7 (#91) |
| REB | +1.0 (#38) | -3.7 (#241) |
| AST | +0.1 (#51) | -0.4 (#67) |
| STL | -0.1 (#62) | +0.7 (#43) |
| BLK | +0.8 (#42) | -2.0 (#129) |
| 3PM | -0.4 (#73) | +0.6 (#45) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#41) | -3.7 (#191) |
| FT% | -1.1 (#99) | -0.0 (#60) |
| TO | +0.4 (#56) | -1.3 (#92) |
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)
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Ivica Zubac: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
Recent games
- Desmond Bane: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.0 on the board.
- Ivica Zubac: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.0 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 Ivica Zubac playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Desmond Bane
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Desmond Bane or Ivica Zubac?
Points leagues: Desmond Bane. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 32.0, 67th on our board to 68th. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (51st to 90th).
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Ivica Zubac?
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ivica Zubac in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Desmond Bane or Ivica Zubac?
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 95.9 for Ivica Zubac.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number