Maxime Raynaud vs Nikola Vučević: who to start in Week 3
Maxime Raynaud plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 76.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in both formats: 25.5 fantasy points a game to 25.4, and 141st against 151st 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 Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #143
- 25.4 FP/G, slot 12.11, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #151
- -2.4 z, slot 13.07, $2
Out (Knee)
- Points leagues
- #142
- 25.5 FP/G, slot 12.10, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #141
- -2.1 z, slot 12.09, $3
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 25.5 fantasy points per game against 25.4, 142nd on our board to 143rd.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (141st to 151st).
Category by category, Maxime Raynaud is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, STL and FG%) and Nikola Vučević in 5 (AST, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 41.0 fantasy points to 34.4, on 22.4 minutes a night against 26.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Maxime Raynaud plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 76.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud.
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 | Maxime Raynaud | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.4 | 25.5 |
| Minutes | 26.5 | 22.4 |
| PointsPTS | 12.5 | 11.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 6.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 2.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 57.1% | 48.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.6% | 80.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 74 | 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 | Maxime Raynaud | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.4 | 41.0 |
| Points | 16.9 | 18.1 |
| Rebounds | 10.2 | 10.7 |
| Assists | 1.8 | 4.3 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Maxime Raynaud | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.5 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.3 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | 0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.4 | -2.1 |
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 assists, blocks, threes and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Maxime Raynaud.
| Punt | Maxime Raynaud | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#140) | -1.2 (#121) |
| REB | -3.3 (#209) | -2.6 (#172) |
| AST | -1.1 (#107) | -1.6 (#128) |
| STL | -0.9 (#93) | -0.5 (#74) |
| BLK | -2.4 (#147) | -2.4 (#148) |
| 3PM | -0.9 (#89) | -1.6 (#124) |
| FG% | -4.0 (#206) | -2.4 (#139) |
| FT% | -2.2 (#157) | -2.1 (#150) |
| TO | -3.4 (#153) | -3.4 (#155) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Maxime Raynaud: 4 games (Mon @DAL, Wed LAL, Fri SAS, Sun MIA), listed Out.
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Mon WAS, Thu @PHX, Sat @GSW), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Maxime Raynaud: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 25.4 on the board.
- Nikola Vučević: 10.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 25.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Maxime Raynaud playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Maxime Raynaud
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Maxime Raynaud or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 25.5 fantasy points per game against 25.4, 142nd on our board to 143rd. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (141st to 151st).
Who wins more categories, Maxime Raynaud or Nikola Vučević?
Category by category, Maxime Raynaud is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, STL and FG%) and Nikola Vučević in 5 (AST, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Maxime Raynaud or Nikola Vučević?
Maxime Raynaud plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 76.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number