Nikola Vučević vs Norman Powell: who to start in Week 1
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.3 projected fantasy points to 87.1 for Nikola Vučević. Over the season, Norman Powell leads in both formats: 31.4 fantasy points a game to 29.0, and 74th against 75th 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 Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #75
- -0.7 z, slot 7.03, $11
- Points leagues
- #72
- 31.4 FP/G, slot 6.12, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #74
- -0.7 z, slot 7.02, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Norman Powell. 31.4 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 72nd on our board to 95th.
9-cat leagues: Norman Powell again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (74th to 75th).
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and Norman Powell in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.8 fantasy points to 38.5, on 25.6 minutes a night against 29.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.3 projected fantasy points to 87.1 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 | Nikola Vučević | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 31.4 |
| Minutes | 25.6 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 21.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.6 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 45.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 82.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 58 |
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 | Nikola Vučević | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.8 | 38.5 |
| Points | 18.7 | 26.4 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 4.4 |
| Assists | 4.2 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 2.2 |
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 | Nikola Vučević | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.1 |
| Total | -0.7 | -0.7 |
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, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nikola Vučević.
| Punt | Nikola Vučević | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#67) | -1.7 (#148) |
| REB | -1.6 (#126) | +0.2 (#50) |
| AST | -0.5 (#72) | -0.1 (#56) |
| STL | +0.5 (#47) | -1.0 (#93) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#82) | +0.2 (#55) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#81) | -1.8 (#130) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#86) | +0.0 (#61) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#91) | -1.3 (#108) |
| TO | -1.7 (#102) | -0.7 (#71) |
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)
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Norman Powell: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Nikola Vučević: 2.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Norman Powell: 28.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 31.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight? · Is Norman Powell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nikola Vučević or Norman Powell?
Points leagues: Norman Powell. 31.4 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 72nd on our board to 95th. 9-cat leagues: Norman Powell again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (74th to 75th).
Who wins more categories, Nikola Vučević or Norman Powell?
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and Norman Powell in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nikola Vučević or Norman Powell?
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.3 projected fantasy points to 87.1 for Nikola Vučević.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number