Donovan Clingan vs Jusuf Nurkić: who to start in Week 1
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Donovan Clingan: 67.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić. Over the season, Donovan Clingan leads in both formats: 33.9 fantasy points a game to 33.5, and 34th against 117th 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, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- 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.
- Points leagues
- #59
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 5.11, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #117
- -1.6 z, slot 10.09, $7
Out (Foot)
The call
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 33.9 fantasy points per game against 33.5, 56th on our board to 59th.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (34th to 117th).
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 7 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 2 (AST and STL).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 45.5, on 26.4 minutes a night against 26.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Donovan Clingan: 67.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Donovan Clingan | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.9 | 33.5 |
| Minutes | 26.8 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 12.1 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.3 | 10.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.6% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 67.1% | 54.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 41 |
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 | Donovan Clingan | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.5 | 45.6 |
| Points | 16.2 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 15.2 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 2.8 | 6.5 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 3.4 |
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 | Donovan Clingan | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.5 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.9 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | -0.8 |
| Total | +1.2 | -1.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Donovan Clingan stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Donovan Clingan | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#20) | -0.7 (#93) |
| REB | -1.6 (#118) | -4.2 (#260) |
| AST | +2.0 (#24) | -2.2 (#162) |
| STL | +2.5 (#19) | -2.3 (#158) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#89) | -1.7 (#120) |
| 3PM | +1.7 (#27) | -0.5 (#75) |
| FG% | +0.4 (#53) | -2.7 (#148) |
| FT% | +2.3 (#22) | +0.6 (#46) |
| TO | +0.2 (#58) | -0.9 (#77) |
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)
- Donovan Clingan: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
- Jusuf Nurkić: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL), listed Out.
Recent games
- Donovan Clingan: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.9 on the board.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Donovan Clingan playing tonight? · Is Jusuf Nurkić playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Donovan Clingan, Jusuf Nurkić
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Donovan Clingan or Jusuf Nurkić?
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 33.9 fantasy points per game against 33.5, 56th on our board to 59th. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.2 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (34th to 117th).
Who wins more categories, Donovan Clingan or Jusuf Nurkić?
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 7 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 2 (AST and STL).
Who should I start in Week 1, Donovan Clingan or Jusuf Nurkić?
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Donovan Clingan: 67.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number