Ivica Zubac vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 2
Ivica Zubac plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jabari Smith Jr. 4. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Ivica Zubac. Over the season, Jabari Smith Jr. leads in both formats: 30.6 fantasy points a game to 30.5, and 51st against 113th 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, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #80
- 30.5 FP/G, slot 7.08, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #113
- -1.5 z, slot 10.05, $7
Out (Ankle)
- Points leagues
- #79
- 30.6 FP/G, slot 7.07, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.3 z, slot 5.03, $17
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jabari Smith Jr.. 30.6 fantasy points per game against 30.5, 79th on our board to 80th.
9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. again, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (51st to 113th).
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 3 (REB, AST and FG%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.3 fantasy points to 31.4, on 28.7 minutes a night against 35.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ivica Zubac plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jabari Smith Jr. 4. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Ivica Zubac.
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 | Ivica Zubac | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.5 | 30.6 |
| Minutes | 28.7 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 16.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.3 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 59.8% | 46.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.6% | 79.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 77 |
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 | Ivica Zubac | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.3 | 31.4 |
| Points | 16.6 | 16.4 |
| Rebounds | 13.0 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.3 |
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 | Ivica Zubac | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.1 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -1.9 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.7 |
| Total | -1.5 | +0.3 |
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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Ivica Zubac | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#101) | +0.3 (#50) |
| REB | -3.9 (#237) | -0.2 (#57) |
| AST | -0.6 (#78) | +1.1 (#37) |
| STL | +0.4 (#50) | +0.8 (#39) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#145) | -0.4 (#69) |
| 3PM | +0.2 (#52) | -0.4 (#77) |
| FG% | -3.9 (#208) | +0.8 (#44) |
| FT% | -0.5 (#75) | +0.3 (#55) |
| TO | -1.7 (#100) | -0.4 (#70) |
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)
- Ivica Zubac: 4 games (Mon @MIL, Wed PHI, Fri @MIA, Sun BKN), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Ivica Zubac: 23.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 30.5 on the board.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 31.5 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 30.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ivica Zubac playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ivica Zubac or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Jabari Smith Jr.. 30.6 fantasy points per game against 30.5, 79th on our board to 80th. 9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. again, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (51st to 113th).
Who wins more categories, Ivica Zubac or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 3 (REB, AST and FG%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Ivica Zubac or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Ivica Zubac plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jabari Smith Jr. 4. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Ivica Zubac.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number