Karl-Anthony Towns vs Lauri Markkanen: who to start in Week 1
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 120.1 for Lauri Markkanen. Over the season, Karl-Anthony Towns leads in points leagues (40.1 fantasy points a game to 40.0) and Lauri Markkanen in 9-cat leagues (11th against 22nd). 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.1 FP/G, slot 2.12, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #22
- +2.6 z, slot 2.10, $30
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #25
- 40.0 FP/G, slot 3.01, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.8 z, slot 1.11, $37
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.1 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 24th on our board to 25th.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (11th to 22nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns produces more: 46.7 fantasy points to 41.9, on 30.9 minutes a night against 34.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 120.1 for Lauri Markkanen.
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 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.1 | 40.0 |
| Minutes | 30.9 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 20.1 | 25.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.8 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.8% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.0% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.7 | 41.9 |
| Points | 23.4 | 26.8 |
| Rebounds | 13.7 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 3.1 | 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 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.7 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.0 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +2.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.0 | +0.4 |
| Total | +2.6 | +3.8 |
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 threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Karl-Anthony Towns.
| Punt | Karl-Anthony Towns | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#20) | +2.1 (#17) |
| REB | -0.2 (#62) | +3.4 (#14) |
| AST | +2.9 (#12) | +4.4 (#7) |
| STL | +3.1 (#14) | +4.0 (#8) |
| BLK | +2.6 (#22) | +4.2 (#8) |
| 3PM | +2.6 (#19) | +2.5 (#21) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#30) | +4.8 (#9) |
| FT% | +2.0 (#23) | +1.7 (#28) |
| TO | +3.5 (#18) | +3.5 (#20) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
- Lauri Markkanen: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Karl-Anthony Towns or Lauri Markkanen: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 37.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.1 on the board.
- Lauri Markkanen: 31.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Karl-Anthony Towns
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Karl-Anthony Towns or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.1 fantasy points per game against 40.0, 24th on our board to 25th. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (11th to 22nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Karl-Anthony Towns or Lauri Markkanen?
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Lauri Markkanen in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Karl-Anthony Towns or Lauri Markkanen?
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Lauri Markkanen 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 120.1 for Lauri Markkanen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number