Ivica Zubac vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 1
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Ivica Zubac. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in both formats: 35.2 fantasy points a game to 32.4, and 84th against 85th 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, 2:56 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
- Points leagues
- #46
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 4.10, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #84
- -0.9 z, slot 7.12, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 46th on our board to 66th.
9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson again, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (84th to 85th).
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 42.5 fantasy points to 38.4, on 29.8 minutes a night against 30.4. 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), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 21.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.9 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 59.6% | 58.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.4% | 73.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 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 | Ivica Zubac | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 42.5 |
| Points | 16.9 | 25.4 |
| Rebounds | 12.9 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.5 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.9 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | +2.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -1.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| Total | -0.9 | -0.9 |
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, assists, steals, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Ivica Zubac | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.6 (#84) | -1.7 (#146) |
| REB | -3.5 (#226) | -1.2 (#103) |
| AST | -0.2 (#61) | -0.7 (#84) |
| STL | +0.9 (#38) | -1.2 (#101) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#122) | -0.8 (#79) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#42) | +0.6 (#46) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#178) | -4.0 (#208) |
| FT% | +0.0 (#61) | +0.6 (#47) |
| TO | -1.3 (#92) | -0.6 (#71) |
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).
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Ivica Zubac: 26.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 32.4 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 30.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 35.2 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 Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ivica Zubac or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 46th on our board to 66th. 9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson again, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (84th to 85th).
Who wins more categories, Ivica Zubac or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Ivica Zubac is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ivica Zubac or Zion Williamson?
Ivica Zubac plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Ivica Zubac.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 2:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number