Kon Knueppel vs Nikola Vučević: who to start in Week 1
Kon Knueppel plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Kon Knueppel: 92.4 projected fantasy points to 92.1 for Nikola Vučević. Over the season, Kon Knueppel leads in both formats: 30.8 fantasy points a game to 30.7, and 56th against 62nd 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 Oct 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #77
- 30.8 FP/G, slot 7.05, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #56
- +0.1 z, slot 5.08, $16
Day to day (Hamstring)
The pick in points and 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 call
Points leagues: Kon Knueppel. 30.8 fantasy points per game against 30.7, 77th on our board to 78th.
9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel again, +0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (56th to 62nd).
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 41.0 fantasy points to 35.2, on 26.9 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), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Kon Knueppel: 92.4 projected fantasy points to 92.1 for Nikola Vučević.
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 | Kon Knueppel | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.8 | 30.7 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 26.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.5 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 7.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.4 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.5% | 49.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.3% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 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 | Kon Knueppel | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.2 | 41.0 |
| Points | 21.1 | 18.9 |
| Rebounds | 6.1 | 10.6 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 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 | Kon Knueppel | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | +1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.8 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | +0.1 | -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 points, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nikola Vučević.
| Punt | Kon Knueppel | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#75) | +0.1 (#54) |
| REB | +0.4 (#47) | -1.2 (#105) |
| AST | +0.1 (#51) | -0.1 (#55) |
| STL | +0.9 (#37) | +1.0 (#32) |
| BLK | +1.0 (#38) | -0.2 (#66) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#127) | -0.2 (#69) |
| FG% | +0.6 (#47) | -0.5 (#72) |
| FT% | -0.6 (#78) | -0.4 (#76) |
| TO | +0.2 (#60) | -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)
- Kon Knueppel: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Kon Knueppel: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.8 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 Kon Knueppel playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kon Knueppel
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kon Knueppel or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Kon Knueppel. 30.8 fantasy points per game against 30.7, 77th on our board to 78th. 9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel again, +0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (56th to 62nd).
Who wins more categories, Kon Knueppel or Nikola Vučević?
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kon Knueppel or Nikola Vučević?
Kon Knueppel plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Kon Knueppel: 92.4 projected fantasy points to 92.1 for Nikola Vučević.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number