Julius Randle vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 3
Julius Randle plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Lauri Markkanen 4. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 150.2 projected fantasy points to 149.9 for Julius Randle. Over the season, Lauri Markkanen leads in both formats: 37.6 fantasy points a game to 37.5, and 18th against 87th 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #41
- 37.5 FP/G, slot 4.05, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #87
- -0.9 z, slot 8.03, $10
- Points leagues
- #38
- 37.6 FP/G, slot 4.02, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #18
- +2.6 z, slot 2.06, $30
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 37.6 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 38th on our board to 41st.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (18th to 87th).
Category by category, Julius Randle is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Lauri Markkanen produces more: 41.1 fantasy points to 40.5, on 32.9 minutes a night against 33.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Julius Randle plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Lauri Markkanen 4. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 150.2 projected fantasy points to 149.9 for Julius Randle.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Julius Randle | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.5 | 37.6 |
| Minutes | 33.3 | 32.9 |
| PointsPTS | 21.0 | 23.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.7% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.2% | 89.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 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 | Julius Randle | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.5 | 41.1 |
| Points | 22.7 | 26.1 |
| Rebounds | 7.4 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 5.5 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.4 | 1.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Julius Randle | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.7 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | +1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.5 | +0.6 |
| Total | -0.9 | +2.6 |
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: Lauri Markkanen stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Julius Randle | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#156) | +1.3 (#26) |
| REB | -1.4 (#107) | +2.3 (#21) |
| AST | -1.7 (#135) | +3.4 (#12) |
| STL | -0.8 (#87) | +3.0 (#14) |
| BLK | -0.1 (#67) | +2.8 (#18) |
| 3PM | -0.8 (#83) | +1.4 (#35) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#85) | +3.5 (#13) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#103) | +0.7 (#42) |
| TO | +0.6 (#52) | +1.9 (#29) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Julius Randle: 4 games (Mon @NYK, Wed CHA, Sat @ATL, Sun @DAL), 2 back-to-backs.
- Lauri Markkanen: 4 games (Mon @SAS, Wed @NOP, Fri @DAL, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- Julius Randle: 36.3 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 37.5 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 28.8 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 37.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Julius Randle playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Julius Randle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Julius Randle or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen. 37.6 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 38th on our board to 41st. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (18th to 87th).
Who wins more categories, Julius Randle or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Julius Randle is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Julius Randle or Lauri Markkanen?
Julius Randle plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Lauri Markkanen 4. For that week alone, start Lauri Markkanen: 150.2 projected fantasy points to 149.9 for Julius Randle.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number