Donovan Clingan vs Zion Williamson: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Zion Williamson in points leagues (35.2 fantasy points a game to 34.7) and Donovan Clingan in 9-cat leagues (30th against 102nd). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #50
- 34.7 FP/G, slot 5.02, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #30
- +1.6 z, slot 3.06, $24
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #49
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 5.01, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #102
- -1.4 z, slot 9.06, $8
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 34.7, 49th on our board to 50th.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan instead, +1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (30th to 102nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Donovan Clingan produces more: 46.0 fantasy points to 42.6, on 27.2 minutes a night against 29.7. 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), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.5 projected fantasy points to 69.5 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Donovan Clingan | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.7 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 27.2 | 29.7 |
| PointsPTS | 12.1 | 21.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.6 | 5.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.0% | 60.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.0% | 71.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 62 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.0 | 42.6 |
| Points | 16.1 | 25.5 |
| Rebounds | 15.3 | 6.9 |
| Assists | 2.8 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 2.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 2.5 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.6 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.1 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.5 | +2.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| Total | +1.6 | -1.4 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.3 (#14) | -2.2 (#173) |
| REB | -1.3 (#103) | -1.9 (#129) |
| AST | +2.4 (#18) | -1.3 (#118) |
| STL | +2.8 (#15) | -1.4 (#119) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#83) | -1.4 (#102) |
| 3PM | +2.2 (#22) | +0.2 (#56) |
| FG% | +0.7 (#49) | -5.1 (#254) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#19) | +0.5 (#50) |
| TO | +0.6 (#54) | -1.3 (#91) |
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)
- Donovan Clingan: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Donovan Clingan: 33.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 34.7 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 30.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 35.2 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 Donovan Clingan or Zion Williamson in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 34.7, 49th on our board to 50th. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan instead, +1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (30th to 102nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Donovan Clingan or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Donovan Clingan or Zion Williamson?
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.5 projected fantasy points to 69.5 for Donovan Clingan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number