Evan Mobley vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Evan Mobley plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 80.1 for Evan Mobley. Over the season, Lauri Markkanen leads in both formats: 40.0 fantasy points a game to 40.0, and 11th against 33rd 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 25, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #27
- 40.0 FP/G, slot 3.03, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #33
- +1.4 z, slot 3.09, $24
- Points leagues
- #26
- 40.0 FP/G, slot 3.02, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $37
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.0 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 26th on our board to 27th.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +1.4 (11th to 33rd).
Category by category, Evan Mobley is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Evan Mobley produces more: 44.7 fantasy points to 41.9, on 32.2 minutes a night against 34.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Evan Mobley plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 80.1 for Evan Mobley.
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 | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.0 | 40.0 |
| Minutes | 32.2 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 25.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.8% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.8% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 65 | 42 |
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 | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.7 | 41.9 |
| Points | 20.4 | 26.8 |
| Rebounds | 10.1 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 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 | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.5 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.1 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.4 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -2.6 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.4 |
| Total | +1.4 | +3.8 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Evan Mobley.
| Punt | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.0 (#31) | +2.1 (#17) |
| REB | -0.5 (#76) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +1.3 (#32) | +4.4 (#7) |
| STL | +2.0 (#24) | +4.0 (#8) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#93) | +4.2 (#9) |
| 3PM | +2.0 (#24) | +2.5 (#19) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#86) | +4.7 (#8) |
| FT% | +4.0 (#8) | +1.7 (#30) |
| TO | +1.3 (#41) | +3.5 (#21) |
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)
- Evan Mobley: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Evan Mobley: 40.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.0 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 31.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Evan Mobley playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 40.0 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 26th on our board to 27th. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +1.4 (11th to 33rd).
Who wins more categories, Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Evan Mobley is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen?
Evan Mobley plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 120.1 projected fantasy points to 80.1 for Evan Mobley.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number