Moussa Diabaté vs Nikola Vučević: who to start in Week 2
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 103.0 projected fantasy points to 85.3 for Nikola Vučević. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in points leagues (28.4 fantasy points a game to 25.7) and Moussa Diabaté in 9-cat leagues (83rd against 84th). 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 26, 10:30 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #127
- 25.7 FP/G, slot 11.07, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.9 z, slot 7.11, $10
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #97
- 28.4 FP/G, slot 9.01, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #84
- -0.9 z, slot 7.12, $10
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 28.4 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 97th on our board to 127th.
9-cat leagues: Moussa Diabaté instead, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (83rd to 84th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Moussa Diabaté is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.9 fantasy points to 35.7, on 25.0 minutes a night against 26.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 103.0 projected fantasy points to 85.3 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 | Moussa Diabaté | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.7 | 28.4 |
| Minutes | 26.0 | 25.0 |
| PointsPTS | 8.0 | 12.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.4 | 7.3 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.1% | 48.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 67.6% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 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 | Moussa Diabaté | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.7 | 40.9 |
| Points | 11.1 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 11.7 | 10.5 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 4.3 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 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 | Moussa Diabaté | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.5 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.2 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.3 | +0.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.9 |
| Total | -0.9 | -0.9 |
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, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Nikola Vučević.
| Punt | Moussa Diabaté | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.5 (#48) | -0.3 (#76) |
| REB | -2.4 (#162) | -1.7 (#124) |
| AST | -0.0 (#55) | -0.6 (#77) |
| STL | -1.1 (#99) | +0.4 (#49) |
| BLK | -1.6 (#118) | -1.0 (#93) |
| 3PM | +0.9 (#39) | -0.7 (#84) |
| FG% | -2.8 (#151) | -1.0 (#91) |
| FT% | +0.1 (#57) | -1.0 (#99) |
| TO | -1.9 (#107) | -1.9 (#106) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Moussa Diabaté: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @TOR, Sun BOS).
Recent games
- Moussa Diabaté: 27.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 25.7 on the board.
- Nikola Vučević: 7.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 28.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Moussa Diabaté playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Moussa Diabaté
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Moussa Diabaté or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 28.4 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 97th on our board to 127th. 9-cat leagues: Moussa Diabaté instead, -0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (83rd to 84th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Moussa Diabaté or Nikola Vučević?
Category by category, Moussa Diabaté is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Nikola Vučević in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Moussa Diabaté or Nikola Vučević?
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Nikola Vučević 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 103.0 projected fantasy points to 85.3 for Nikola Vučević.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number