Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs Ryan Rollins: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Ryan Rollins in points leagues (34.2 fantasy points a game to 33.9) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 9-cat leagues (26th against 47th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #55
- 33.9 FP/G, slot 5.07, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #26
- +2.0 z, slot 3.02, $26
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #54
- 34.2 FP/G, slot 5.06, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #47
- +0.6 z, slot 4.11, $19
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Ryan Rollins. 34.2 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 54th on our board to 55th.
9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.0 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (26th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Rollins in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Rollins produces more: 38.3 fantasy points to 36.6, on 32.1 minutes a night against 33.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Rollins 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Rollins: 102.6 projected fantasy points to 101.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
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 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Ryan Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.9 | 34.2 |
| Minutes | 33.4 | 32.1 |
| PointsPTS | 20.8 | 17.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 4.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 5.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.9% | 47.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 90.2% | 79.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 78 | 74 |
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 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Ryan Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.6 | 38.3 |
| Points | 22.5 | 19.4 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| Assists | 4.0 | 6.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 3.0 |
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 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Ryan Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.8 | +1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +1.6 | +0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -1.1 |
| Total | +2.0 | +0.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Nickeil Alexander-Walker stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Ryan Rollins |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.2 (#33) | +0.4 (#48) |
| REB | +3.2 (#15) | +1.2 (#35) |
| AST | +1.9 (#24) | -0.5 (#72) |
| STL | +1.2 (#33) | -0.7 (#81) |
| BLK | +2.4 (#22) | +1.2 (#37) |
| 3PM | +0.2 (#55) | -0.3 (#71) |
| FG% | +3.1 (#18) | +1.0 (#45) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#47) | +0.6 (#49) |
| TO | +2.3 (#31) | +1.8 (#37) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
- Ryan Rollins: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Ryan Rollins: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 38.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.9 on the board.
- Ryan Rollins: 36.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 34.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Ryan Rollins in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Ryan Rollins. 34.2 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 54th on our board to 55th. 9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.0 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (26th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Ryan Rollins?
Category by category, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Rollins in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nickeil Alexander-Walker or Ryan Rollins?
Nickeil Alexander-Walker plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Rollins 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Rollins: 102.6 projected fantasy points to 101.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number