Mark Williams vs Peyton Watson: who to start in Week 1
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Peyton Watson: 54.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams. Over the season, Peyton Watson leads in points leagues (27.3 fantasy points a game to 27.1) and Mark Williams in 9-cat leagues (58th against 121st). 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
- #113
- 27.1 FP/G, slot 10.05, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #58
- +0.0 z, slot 5.10, $15
Out (Shoulder)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #112
- 27.3 FP/G, slot 10.04, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #121
- -1.8 z, slot 11.01, $6
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Peyton Watson. 27.3 fantasy points per game against 27.1, 112th on our board to 113th.
9-cat leagues: Mark Williams instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (58th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Mark Williams is ahead in 4 (REB, FG%, FT% and TO) and Peyton Watson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Mark Williams produces more: 41.3 fantasy points to 33.1, on 23.6 minutes a night against 29.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Peyton Watson: 54.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams.
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 | Mark Williams | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.1 | 27.3 |
| Minutes | 23.6 | 29.6 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 14.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 4.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.4% | 48.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.1% | 74.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 60 | 54 |
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 | Mark Williams | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.3 | 33.1 |
| Points | 17.8 | 17.3 |
| Rebounds | 12.1 | 5.6 |
| Assists | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 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 | Mark Williams | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.6 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.9 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | -0.1 |
| Total | +0.0 | -1.8 |
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 field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Peyton Watson.
| Punt | Mark Williams | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#38) | -1.5 (#129) |
| REB | -1.2 (#97) | -1.5 (#116) |
| AST | +1.4 (#29) | -1.1 (#101) |
| STL | +0.3 (#57) | -1.8 (#132) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#81) | -2.9 (#167) |
| 3PM | +1.6 (#29) | -1.6 (#119) |
| FG% | -2.4 (#132) | -2.1 (#124) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#54) | -1.3 (#108) |
| TO | -1.1 (#86) | -1.8 (#103) |
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)
- Mark Williams: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW), listed Out.
- Peyton Watson: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Recent games
- Mark Williams: 21.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.1 on the board.
- Peyton Watson: 16.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Mark Williams playing tonight? · Is Peyton Watson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Mark Williams, Peyton Watson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Mark Williams or Peyton Watson?
Points leagues: Peyton Watson. 27.3 fantasy points per game against 27.1, 112th on our board to 113th. 9-cat leagues: Mark Williams instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (58th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Mark Williams or Peyton Watson?
Category by category, Mark Williams is ahead in 4 (REB, FG%, FT% and TO) and Peyton Watson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Mark Williams or Peyton Watson?
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Peyton Watson: 54.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 9:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number