Ivica Zubac vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, Ivica Zubac leads in points leagues (32.4 fantasy points a game to 27.0) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 9-cat leagues (83rd against 85th). 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 leagues.
- Points leagues
- #114
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.06, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.8 z, slot 7.11, $11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 66th on our board to 114th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (83rd to 85th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 33.0, on 30.4 minutes a night against 29.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Wendell Carter Jr..
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.9 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 59.6% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.4% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 78 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 33.0 |
| Points | 16.9 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 12.9 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.5 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.3 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -1.9 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.9 | -0.8 |
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, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Ivica Zubac | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.6 (#84) | -0.2 (#66) |
| REB | -3.5 (#226) | -1.7 (#122) |
| AST | -0.2 (#61) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | +0.9 (#38) | -0.2 (#68) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#122) | -0.9 (#83) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#42) | -0.1 (#67) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#178) | -1.8 (#112) |
| FT% | +0.0 (#61) | -1.0 (#91) |
| TO | -1.3 (#92) | -1.8 (#103) |
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).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Ivica Zubac: 39.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 33.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.0 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 Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ivica Zubac or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 66th on our board to 114th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (83rd to 85th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ivica Zubac or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ivica Zubac or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number