Franz Wagner vs Paolo Banchero: who to start in Week 2
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Franz Wagner: 103.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero. Over the season, Paolo Banchero leads in both formats: 41.0 fantasy points a game to 34.6, and 94th against 96th 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 26, 12:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #50
- 34.6 FP/G, slot 5.02, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #96
- -1.2 z, slot 8.12, $9
- Points leagues
- #19
- 41.0 FP/G, slot 2.07, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #94
- -1.1 z, slot 8.10, $9
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.0 fantasy points per game against 34.6, 19th on our board to 50th.
9-cat leagues: Paolo Banchero again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (94th to 96th).
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Paolo Banchero produces more: 42.5 fantasy points to 40.9, on 34.7 minutes a night against 30.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Franz Wagner: 103.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero.
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 | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.6 | 41.0 |
| Minutes | 30.5 | 34.7 |
| PointsPTS | 20.6 | 22.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.7 | 8.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.3% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.0% | 76.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 34 | 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 | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.9 | 42.5 |
| Points | 24.3 | 23.3 |
| Rebounds | 6.8 | 8.5 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 5.7 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 3.3 |
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 | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | +1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -1.6 |
| Total | -1.2 | -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 points, rebounds, assists, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Franz Wagner.
| Punt | Franz Wagner | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.9 (#163) | -2.2 (#177) |
| REB | -1.4 (#112) | -2.6 (#171) |
| AST | -1.4 (#117) | -2.1 (#157) |
| STL | -0.9 (#90) | -0.3 (#70) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#74) | -1.0 (#92) |
| 3PM | -1.0 (#95) | -0.7 (#82) |
| FG% | -1.2 (#93) | -1.7 (#111) |
| FT% | -1.3 (#108) | -0.3 (#66) |
| TO | -0.9 (#79) | +0.5 (#52) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Franz Wagner: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @TOR, Sun BOS).
- Paolo Banchero: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @TOR, Sun BOS), listed Out.
Recent games
- Franz Wagner: 38.5 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 34.6 on the board.
- Paolo Banchero: 42.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 41.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Franz Wagner playing tonight? · Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.0 fantasy points per game against 34.6, 19th on our board to 50th. 9-cat leagues: Paolo Banchero again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (94th to 96th).
Who wins more categories, Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero?
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero?
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Franz Wagner: 103.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 12:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number