Jaden McDaniels vs Matas Buzelis: who to start in Week 2
Jaden McDaniels plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 116.7 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis. Over the season, Matas Buzelis leads in points leagues (29.2 fantasy points a game to 29.2) and Jaden McDaniels in 9-cat leagues (39th against 96th). 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #93
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.09, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #39
- +0.8 z, slot 4.03, $20
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #92
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.08, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #96
- -1.2 z, slot 8.12, $9
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Matas Buzelis. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 92nd on our board to 93rd.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (39th to 96th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Matas Buzelis produces more: 37.3 fantasy points to 33.1, on 28.3 minutes a night against 31.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jaden McDaniels plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 116.7 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis.
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 | Jaden McDaniels | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.2 | 29.2 |
| Minutes | 31.7 | 28.3 |
| PointsPTS | 14.9 | 15.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.1% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.4% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 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 | Jaden McDaniels | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.1 | 37.3 |
| Points | 16.9 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.4 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 3.1 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.7 |
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 | Jaden McDaniels | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.0 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | +0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.9 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | +0.8 | -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
No punt changes the answer: Jaden McDaniels stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Jaden McDaniels | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.0 (#32) | -1.1 (#111) |
| REB | +1.2 (#30) | -1.3 (#105) |
| AST | +1.1 (#34) | -0.4 (#69) |
| STL | +0.7 (#39) | -0.3 (#66) |
| BLK | -0.0 (#61) | -2.8 (#161) |
| 3PM | +0.9 (#38) | -1.6 (#118) |
| FG% | -0.2 (#66) | -0.6 (#76) |
| FT% | +0.4 (#50) | -1.3 (#107) |
| TO | +0.5 (#52) | -0.9 (#77) |
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)
- Jaden McDaniels: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sat @SAS), 2 back-to-backs.
- Matas Buzelis: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- Jaden McDaniels: 31.4 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
- Matas Buzelis: 23.0 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jaden McDaniels playing tonight? · Is Matas Buzelis playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Matas Buzelis
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaden McDaniels or Matas Buzelis?
Points leagues: Matas Buzelis. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 92nd on our board to 93rd. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.2 (39th to 96th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Matas Buzelis?
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jaden McDaniels or Matas Buzelis?
Jaden McDaniels plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 116.7 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Matas Buzelis.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number