Nic Claxton vs Saddiq Bey: who to start in Week 1
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 88.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton. Over the season, Nic Claxton leads in points leagues (29.5 fantasy points a game to 29.5) and Saddiq Bey in 9-cat leagues (82nd against 133rd). 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 22, 2:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #89
- 29.5 FP/G, slot 8.05, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #133
- -2.1 z, slot 12.01, $4
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #90
- 29.5 FP/G, slot 8.06, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #82
- -0.8 z, slot 7.10, $11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.5, 89th on our board to 90th.
9-cat leagues: Saddiq Bey instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (82nd to 133rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nic Claxton is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Saddiq Bey in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nic Claxton produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 34.5, on 27.8 minutes a night against 30.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 88.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
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 | Nic Claxton | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.5 | 29.5 |
| Minutes | 27.8 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 17.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 57.1% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.6% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 72 |
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 | Nic Claxton | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.1 | 34.5 |
| Points | 15.2 | 20.3 |
| Rebounds | 9.0 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.2 |
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 | Nic Claxton | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | +0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.6 | +0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.2 | -0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.9 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +1.1 |
| Total | -2.1 | -0.8 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nic Claxton.
| Punt | Nic Claxton | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#123) | -1.0 (#106) |
| REB | -3.1 (#203) | -0.8 (#81) |
| AST | -2.2 (#160) | -0.3 (#68) |
| STL | -1.2 (#104) | -0.5 (#76) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#196) | +0.3 (#53) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#73) | -1.4 (#109) |
| FG% | -4.2 (#215) | -0.1 (#62) |
| FT% | -0.3 (#72) | -1.5 (#117) |
| TO | -2.9 (#135) | -1.9 (#109) |
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)
- Nic Claxton: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Saddiq Bey: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Nic Claxton: 20.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.5 on the board.
- Saddiq Bey: 32.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Nic Claxton playing tonight? · Is Saddiq Bey playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nic Claxton or Saddiq Bey?
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 29.5, 89th on our board to 90th. 9-cat leagues: Saddiq Bey instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (82nd to 133rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nic Claxton or Saddiq Bey?
Category by category, Nic Claxton is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Saddiq Bey in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nic Claxton or Saddiq Bey?
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 88.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 2:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number