Jimmy Butler III vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 2
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 113.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Lauri Markkanen leads in points leagues (37.9 fantasy points a game to 37.4) and Jimmy Butler III in 9-cat leagues (16th against 20th). 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, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #38
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.02, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +3.3 z, slot 2.04, $34
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #37
- 37.9 FP/G, slot 4.01, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #20
- +3.1 z, slot 2.08, $32
Day to day (Wrist)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 37.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 37th on our board to 38th.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.3 in summed z-scores against +3.1 (16th to 20th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 3 (AST, STL and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 6 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jimmy Butler III produces more: 43.2 fantasy points to 41.2, on 31.1 minutes a night against 33.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 113.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 37.9 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 24.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 46.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 89.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 38 | 42 |
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.2 | 41.2 |
| Points | 23.1 | 26.6 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.6 |
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.5 |
| Total | +3.3 | +3.1 |
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 assists, steals and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Lauri Markkanen.
| Punt | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#12) | +1.4 (#27) |
| REB | +3.3 (#13) | +2.7 (#18) |
| AST | +2.5 (#19) | +3.6 (#11) |
| STL | +2.0 (#22) | +3.3 (#13) |
| BLK | +4.2 (#9) | +3.4 (#15) |
| 3PM | +3.9 (#7) | +1.6 (#31) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#27) | +3.9 (#11) |
| FT% | +1.5 (#32) | +0.9 (#38) |
| TO | +2.8 (#24) | +2.4 (#28) |
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)
- Jimmy Butler III: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC), listed Out.
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen: the Week 2 start/sit call
Recent games
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 25.5 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 37.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 37.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 37th on our board to 38th. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.3 in summed z-scores against +3.1 (16th to 20th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 3 (AST, STL and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 6 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen?
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 113.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number