Franz Wagner vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 3
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 104.8 for Franz Wagner. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in both formats: 36.0 fantasy points a game to 34.9, and 54th against 125th 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #56
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 5.08, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #125
- -1.8 z, slot 11.05, $5
- Points leagues
- #48
- 36.0 FP/G, slot 4.12, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #54
- +0.2 z, slot 5.06, $17
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 48th on our board to 56th.
9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (54th to 125th).
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 42.8 fantasy points to 39.9, on 30.3 minutes a night against 31.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 104.8 for Franz Wagner.
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 | Franz Wagner | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.9 | 36.0 |
| Minutes | 31.6 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 20.3 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.6 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 0.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.4% | 61.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.0% | 71.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 34 | 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 | Franz Wagner | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 39.9 | 42.8 |
| Points | 23.2 | 24.9 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 2.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Franz Wagner | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.4 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | +2.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.8 | +0.2 |
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 steals and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Franz Wagner.
| Punt | Franz Wagner | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.5 (#198) | -0.7 (#90) |
| REB | -1.9 (#130) | +0.1 (#58) |
| AST | -2.4 (#165) | +0.3 (#48) |
| STL | -1.5 (#117) | -1.5 (#118) |
| BLK | -1.1 (#100) | +0.3 (#53) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#117) | +1.7 (#30) |
| FG% | -1.5 (#108) | -3.3 (#177) |
| FT% | -2.1 (#148) | +1.9 (#27) |
| TO | -1.2 (#94) | +0.3 (#56) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Franz Wagner: 3 games (Mon WAS, Thu @PHX, Sat @GSW), 1 back-to-back.
- Zion Williamson: 4 games (Mon @MEM, Wed UTA, Fri MIN, Sun @LAC).
Recent games
- Franz Wagner: 37.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 39.0 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 36.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Franz Wagner playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Franz Wagner, Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Franz Wagner or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 48th on our board to 56th. 9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (54th to 125th).
Who wins more categories, Franz Wagner or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Franz Wagner or Zion Williamson?
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 104.8 for Franz Wagner.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number