Isaiah Hartenstein vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3, an even 83.7 projected fantasy points each. Over the season, Zach LaVine leads in both formats: 27.9 fantasy points a game to 27.9, and 109th against 116th 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #106
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.10, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #116
- -1.6 z, slot 10.08, $6
- Points leagues
- #105
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.09, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #109
- -1.5 z, slot 10.01, $7
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 105th on our board to 106th.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (109th to 116th).
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Hartenstein produces more: 42.4 fantasy points to 31.4, on 23.7 minutes a night against 32.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3, an even 83.7 projected fantasy points each.
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.9 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 23.7 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 8.7 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 58.7% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.0% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 47 | 39 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.4 | 31.4 |
| Points | 13.2 | 22.4 |
| Rebounds | 13.4 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 2.3 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.2 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.6 | -1.5 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Hartenstein.
| Punt | Isaiah Hartenstein | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#72) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -3.3 (#216) | -0.1 (#60) |
| AST | -1.6 (#130) | -0.9 (#93) |
| STL | -1.5 (#121) | -0.8 (#87) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#144) | -0.6 (#80) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#60) | -2.6 (#169) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#175) | -1.1 (#91) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#74) | -2.4 (#155) |
| TO | -1.9 (#109) | -1.2 (#87) |
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)
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 16.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Hartenstein playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Hartenstein or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 105th on our board to 106th. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (109th to 116th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Hartenstein or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Hartenstein or Zach LaVine?
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3, an even 83.7 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number