Desmond Bane vs LaMelo Ball: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft LaMelo Ball in points leagues (38.1 fantasy points a game to 33.7) and Desmond Bane in 9-cat leagues (37th against 40th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #58
- 33.7 FP/G, slot 5.10, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #37
- +1.2 z, slot 4.01, $22
Game-time decision (Rest)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #39
- 38.1 FP/G, slot 4.03, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +0.9 z, slot 4.04, $20
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft LaMelo Ball. 38.1 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 39th on our board to 58th.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +0.9 (37th to 40th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, LaMelo Ball produces more: 48.9 fantasy points to 36.1, on 28.0 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), LaMelo Ball 3. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 114.3 projected fantasy points to 101.1 for Desmond Bane.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Desmond Bane | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.7 | 38.1 |
| Minutes | 33.6 | 28.0 |
| PointsPTS | 20.1 | 20.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 7.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 3.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.4% | 40.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 90.8% | 89.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 72 |
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 | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 48.9 |
| Points | 21.5 | 25.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 4.4 | 9.2 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 4.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 3.6 |
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 | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | +2.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -2.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.4 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Total | +1.2 | +0.9 |
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 blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to LaMelo Ball.
| Punt | Desmond Bane | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.5 (#42) | +0.2 (#58) |
| REB | +2.0 (#23) | +1.6 (#29) |
| AST | +0.9 (#38) | -0.9 (#92) |
| STL | +1.1 (#34) | +0.4 (#49) |
| BLK | +1.7 (#30) | +1.9 (#26) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#46) | -1.4 (#109) |
| FG% | +1.5 (#36) | +3.6 (#16) |
| FT% | -0.3 (#73) | -0.0 (#63) |
| TO | +1.4 (#44) | +2.2 (#32) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK), listed GTD.
- LaMelo Ball: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Desmond Bane: 30.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.7 on the board.
- LaMelo Ball: 40.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 38.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Desmond Bane or LaMelo Ball in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft LaMelo Ball. 38.1 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 39th on our board to 58th. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +1.2 in summed z-scores against +0.9 (37th to 40th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or LaMelo Ball?
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Desmond Bane or LaMelo Ball?
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), LaMelo Ball 3. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 114.3 projected fantasy points to 101.1 for Desmond Bane.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number