Jaden McDaniels vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 2
Jaden McDaniels plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine. Over the season, Jaden McDaniels leads in both formats: 29.3 fantasy points a game to 29.1, and 40th against 76th 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
- #89
- 29.3 FP/G, slot 8.05, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +0.8 z, slot 4.04, $20
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.1 FP/G, slot 8.07, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #76
- -0.7 z, slot 7.04, $11
The call
Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 89th on our board to 91st.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, +0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (40th to 76th).
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Jaden McDaniels produces more: 33.5 fantasy points to 32.3, on 31.4 minutes a night against 32.5. 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), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine.
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.3 | 29.1 |
| Minutes | 31.4 | 32.5 |
| PointsPTS | 14.9 | 20.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.5% | 48.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.4% | 87.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 39 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.5 | 32.3 |
| Points | 17.1 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.3 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.4 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| Total | +0.8 | -0.7 |
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 blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Zach LaVine.
| Punt | Jaden McDaniels | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.9 (#33) | -1.6 (#148) |
| REB | +1.2 (#33) | +0.6 (#43) |
| AST | +1.1 (#38) | -0.3 (#65) |
| STL | +0.5 (#44) | -0.3 (#69) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#63) | +0.1 (#55) |
| 3PM | +0.8 (#40) | -2.0 (#138) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#66) | -0.5 (#74) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#52) | -2.0 (#141) |
| TO | +0.6 (#50) | -0.4 (#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 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.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu @NOP, Sat @MEM).
Recent games
- Jaden McDaniels: 32.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 40.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.1 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 Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaden McDaniels or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 89th on our board to 91st. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, +0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (40th to 76th).
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jaden McDaniels or Zach LaVine?
Jaden McDaniels plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 117.1 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number