Naji Marshall vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Naji Marshall plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Naji Marshall: 84.7 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine. Over the season, Naji Marshall leads in points leagues (28.2 fantasy points a game to 27.9) and Zach LaVine in 9-cat leagues (109th against 143rd). 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
- #99
- 28.2 FP/G, slot 9.03, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #143
- -2.2 z, slot 12.11, $3
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #105
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.09, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #109
- -1.5 z, slot 10.01, $7
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Naji Marshall. 28.2 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 99th on our board to 105th.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (109th to 143rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Naji Marshall is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Naji Marshall produces more: 34.3 fantasy points to 31.4, on 29.7 minutes a night against 32.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Naji Marshall plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Naji Marshall: 84.7 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine.
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 | Naji Marshall | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.2 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 29.7 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 15.3 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.6% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.2% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 74 | 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 | Naji Marshall | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.3 | 31.4 |
| Points | 18.5 | 22.4 |
| Rebounds | 5.5 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 4.3 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 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 | Naji Marshall | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.3 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -0.3 |
| Total | -2.2 | -1.5 |
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 points, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Naji Marshall.
| Punt | Naji Marshall | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.0 (#168) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -1.8 (#127) | -0.1 (#60) |
| AST | -2.3 (#167) | -0.9 (#93) |
| STL | -2.8 (#174) | -0.8 (#87) |
| BLK | -1.1 (#93) | -0.6 (#80) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#113) | -2.6 (#169) |
| FG% | -3.1 (#159) | -1.1 (#91) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#124) | -2.4 (#155) |
| TO | -2.5 (#125) | -1.2 (#87) |
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)
- Naji Marshall: 3 games (Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Naji Marshall: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 28.2 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Naji Marshall playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Naji Marshall or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Naji Marshall. 28.2 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 99th on our board to 105th. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (109th to 143rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Naji Marshall or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Naji Marshall is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Naji Marshall or Zach LaVine?
Naji Marshall plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Naji Marshall: 84.7 projected fantasy points to 83.7 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number