Kris Dunn vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Kris Dunn plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Kris Dunn. Over the season, Zach LaVine leads in points leagues (27.4 fantasy points a game to 21.6) and Kris Dunn in 9-cat leagues (124th against 125th). 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 23, 9:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #182
- 21.6 FP/G, slot 16.02
- 9-cat leagues
- #124
- -1.9 z, slot 11.04, $5
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #110
- 27.4 FP/G, slot 10.02, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #125
- -2.0 z, slot 11.05, $5
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.4 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 110th on our board to 182nd.
9-cat leagues: Kris Dunn instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (124th to 125th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kris Dunn is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Zach LaVine produces more: 31.3 fantasy points to 28.6, on 31.5 minutes a night against 27.2. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Kris Dunn plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Kris Dunn.
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 | Kris Dunn | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.6 | 27.4 |
| Minutes | 27.2 | 31.5 |
| PointsPTS | 7.3 | 19.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 48.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.4% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 39 |
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 | Kris Dunn | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 31.3 |
| Points | 9.6 | 22.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.5 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 2.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 2.3 |
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 | Kris Dunn | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.6 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +1.8 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | -0.2 |
| Total | -1.9 | -2.0 |
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, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Zach LaVine.
| Punt | Kris Dunn | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#76) | -2.6 (#198) |
| REB | -1.0 (#89) | -0.6 (#76) |
| AST | -2.0 (#151) | -1.5 (#120) |
| STL | -3.8 (#220) | -1.1 (#97) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#98) | -1.1 (#94) |
| 3PM | -1.3 (#106) | -3.1 (#189) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#122) | -1.9 (#115) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#125) | -2.8 (#167) |
| TO | -2.6 (#128) | -1.8 (#105) |
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)
- Kris Dunn: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Kris Dunn: 36.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kris Dunn playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kris Dunn or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.4 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 110th on our board to 182nd. 9-cat leagues: Kris Dunn instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (124th to 125th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kris Dunn or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Kris Dunn is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kris Dunn or Zach LaVine?
Kris Dunn plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Kris Dunn.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 9:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number