Ivica Zubac vs Rudy Gobert: who to start in Week 1
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Rudy Gobert 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 96.8 for Rudy Gobert. Over the season, Ivica Zubac leads in both formats: 32.4 fantasy points a game to 32.3, and 85th against 97th 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #66
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 6.06, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #85
- -0.9 z, slot 8.01, $10
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #68
- 32.3 FP/G, slot 6.08, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #97
- -1.2 z, slot 9.01, $9
The call
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 32.3, 66th on our board to 68th.
9-cat leagues: Ivica Zubac again, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (85th to 97th).
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 37.0, on 30.4 minutes a night against 31.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Rudy Gobert 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 96.8 for Rudy Gobert.
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 | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 32.3 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 31.4 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 10.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.9 | 11.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 59.6% | 66.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.4% | 53.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 76 |
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 | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 37.0 |
| Points | 16.9 | 12.1 |
| Rebounds | 12.9 | 13.4 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.7 |
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 | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.3 | +2.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.9 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -3.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| Total | -0.9 | -1.2 |
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 points and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Rudy Gobert.
| Punt | Ivica Zubac | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.6 (#84) | -0.2 (#68) |
| REB | -3.5 (#226) | -4.6 (#282) |
| AST | -0.2 (#61) | -0.2 (#63) |
| STL | +0.9 (#38) | -0.4 (#73) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#122) | -3.6 (#200) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#42) | +0.6 (#45) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#178) | -4.3 (#223) |
| FT% | +0.0 (#61) | +2.3 (#21) |
| TO | -1.3 (#92) | -1.8 (#104) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Ivica Zubac: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
- Rudy Gobert: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Ivica Zubac: 39.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
- Rudy Gobert: 21.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 32.3 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 Rudy Gobert playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Rudy Gobert
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ivica Zubac or Rudy Gobert?
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 32.3, 66th on our board to 68th. 9-cat leagues: Ivica Zubac again, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (85th to 97th).
Who wins more categories, Ivica Zubac or Rudy Gobert?
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ivica Zubac or Rudy Gobert?
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Rudy Gobert 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 96.8 for Rudy Gobert.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number