Kel'el Ware vs Nikola Vučević: who to start in Week 1
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 92.1 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in points leagues (30.7 fantasy points a game to 26.9) and Kel'el Ware in 9-cat leagues (61st against 62nd). 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 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #115
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.07, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.2 z, slot 6.01, $14
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #78
- 30.7 FP/G, slot 7.06, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #62
- -0.2 z, slot 6.02, $14
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 30.7 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 78th on our board to 115th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (61st to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.7 fantasy points to 41.0, on 21.6 minutes a night against 26.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 92.1 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware.
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 | Kel'el Ware | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.9 | 30.7 |
| Minutes | 21.6 | 26.9 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.6 | 7.9 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.9% | 49.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.3% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 64 |
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 | Kel'el Ware | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.7 | 41.0 |
| Points | 18.0 | 18.9 |
| Rebounds | 14.4 | 10.6 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 4.3 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.7 |
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 | Kel'el Ware | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.3 | +1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.7 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.2 | -0.2 |
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
Punting rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Nikola Vučević.
| Punt | Kel'el Ware | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.7 (#42) | +0.1 (#54) |
| REB | -1.7 (#121) | -1.2 (#105) |
| AST | +1.2 (#32) | -0.1 (#55) |
| STL | +0.4 (#52) | +1.0 (#32) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#95) | -0.2 (#66) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#54) | -0.2 (#69) |
| FG% | -1.1 (#91) | -0.5 (#72) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#53) | -0.4 (#76) |
| TO | -1.7 (#99) | -1.1 (#85) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Kel'el Ware: 14.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
- Nikola Vučević: 2.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 30.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kel'el Ware playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kel'el Ware or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 30.7 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 78th on our board to 115th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (61st to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Nikola Vučević?
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kel'el Ware or Nikola Vučević?
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 92.1 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number