Kon Knueppel vs Matas Buzelis: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Matas Buzelis in points leagues (30.9 fantasy points a game to 30.8) and Kon Knueppel in 9-cat leagues (62nd against 66th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #80
- 30.8 FP/G, slot 7.08, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #62
- -0.0 z, slot 6.02, $15
Day to day (Hamstring)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #78
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.06, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #66
- -0.3 z, slot 6.06, $14
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Matas Buzelis. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 78th on our board to 80th.
9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (62nd to 66th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 2 (REB and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, Matas Buzelis produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 35.2, on 29.2 minutes a night against 31.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kon Knueppel plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Matas Buzelis: 92.8 projected fantasy points to 92.4 for Kon Knueppel.
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 | Kon Knueppel | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.8 | 30.9 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 29.2 |
| PointsPTS | 18.5 | 16.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 5.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 3.4 | 2.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.5% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.3% | 78.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 77 |
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 | Kon Knueppel | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.2 | 38.1 |
| Points | 21.1 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 6.1 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Kon Knueppel | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +1.7 |
| Threes3PM | +1.7 | +0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | -0.0 | -0.3 |
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 points, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Matas Buzelis.
| Punt | Kon Knueppel | Matas Buzelis |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#80) | -0.3 (#74) |
| REB | +0.3 (#56) | -0.4 (#71) |
| AST | +0.1 (#56) | +0.5 (#45) |
| STL | +0.8 (#39) | +0.5 (#45) |
| BLK | +1.0 (#39) | -2.1 (#140) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#131) | -0.9 (#93) |
| FG% | +0.5 (#52) | +0.1 (#61) |
| FT% | -0.7 (#85) | -0.2 (#67) |
| TO | +0.1 (#58) | -0.1 (#63) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kon Knueppel: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Matas Buzelis: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kon Knueppel: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.8 on the board.
- Matas Buzelis: 33.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Kon Knueppel or Matas Buzelis in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Matas Buzelis. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 78th on our board to 80th. 9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (62nd to 66th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kon Knueppel or Matas Buzelis?
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Matas Buzelis in 2 (REB and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kon Knueppel or Matas Buzelis?
Kon Knueppel plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Matas Buzelis 3. For that week alone, start Matas Buzelis: 92.8 projected fantasy points to 92.4 for Kon Knueppel.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number