Marvin Bagley III vs Sam Hauser: who to start in Week 1
Marvin Bagley III plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Marvin Bagley III: 42.7 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser. Over the season, Marvin Bagley III leads in points leagues (21.3 fantasy points a game to 17.5) and Sam Hauser in 9-cat leagues (195th against 197th). 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #181
- 21.3 FP/G, slot 16.01
- 9-cat leagues
- #197
- -3.7 z, slot 17.05
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #236
- 17.5 FP/G, slot 20.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #195
- -3.7 z, slot 17.03
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Marvin Bagley III. 21.3 fantasy points per game against 17.5, 181st on our board to 236th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Hauser instead, -3.7 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (195th to 197th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Marvin Bagley III is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and Sam Hauser in 3 (3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Marvin Bagley III produces more: 39.5 fantasy points to 25.9, on 19.5 minutes a night against 24.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Marvin Bagley III plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Marvin Bagley III: 42.7 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser.
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 | Marvin Bagley III | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.3 | 17.5 |
| Minutes | 19.5 | 24.3 |
| PointsPTS | 9.9 | 9.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 61.0% | 42.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 66.0% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 0.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 60 | 78 |
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 | Marvin Bagley III | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 39.5 | 25.9 |
| Points | 18.4 | 13.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.9 | 5.6 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 0.6 |
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 | Marvin Bagley III | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.6 | -1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.0 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.4 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +1.8 |
| Total | -3.7 | -3.7 |
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 threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Marvin Bagley III.
| Punt | Marvin Bagley III | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.6 (#199) | -2.4 (#194) |
| REB | -4.1 (#255) | -2.8 (#181) |
| AST | -2.6 (#184) | -2.6 (#181) |
| STL | -2.2 (#153) | -2.2 (#151) |
| BLK | -4.0 (#227) | -3.0 (#168) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#160) | -4.6 (#260) |
| FG% | -5.8 (#287) | -2.9 (#154) |
| FT% | -2.7 (#165) | -3.7 (#210) |
| TO | -4.8 (#204) | -5.6 (#235) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Marvin Bagley III: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Sam Hauser: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Marvin Bagley III: 5.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.3 on the board.
- Sam Hauser: 14.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 17.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Marvin Bagley III playing tonight? · Is Sam Hauser playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Marvin Bagley III or Sam Hauser?
Points leagues: Marvin Bagley III. 21.3 fantasy points per game against 17.5, 181st on our board to 236th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Hauser instead, -3.7 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (195th to 197th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Marvin Bagley III or Sam Hauser?
Category by category, Marvin Bagley III is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and Sam Hauser in 3 (3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Marvin Bagley III or Sam Hauser?
Marvin Bagley III plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Marvin Bagley III: 42.7 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number