Nikola Vučević vs Payton Pritchard: who to start in Week 1
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 for Payton Pritchard. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in both formats: 29.0 fantasy points a game to 29.0, and 75th against 87th 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, 4:26 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
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #96
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.12, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #87
- -1.0 z, slot 8.03, $9
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 95th on our board to 96th.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -1.0 (75th to 87th).
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Payton Pritchard in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.8 fantasy points to 32.7, on 25.6 minutes a night against 32.0. 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), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 for Payton Pritchard.
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 25.6 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 16.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.6 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 45.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 86.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 79 |
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.8 | 32.7 |
| Points | 18.7 | 18.3 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 4.2 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.5 |
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.7 |
| Total | -0.7 | -1.0 |
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, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Payton Pritchard.
| Punt | Nikola Vučević | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#67) | -1.1 (#111) |
| REB | -1.6 (#126) | -0.1 (#58) |
| AST | -0.5 (#72) | -1.7 (#138) |
| STL | +0.5 (#47) | -0.1 (#65) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#82) | +0.1 (#57) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#81) | -2.1 (#142) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#86) | -0.3 (#67) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#91) | -1.6 (#119) |
| TO | -1.7 (#102) | -1.7 (#104) |
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).
- Payton Pritchard: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Nikola Vučević: 2.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Payton Pritchard: 16.3 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 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 Payton Pritchard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Payton Pritchard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nikola Vučević or Payton Pritchard?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 95th on our board to 96th. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević again, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -1.0 (75th to 87th).
Who wins more categories, Nikola Vučević or Payton Pritchard?
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Payton Pritchard in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nikola Vučević or Payton Pritchard?
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 for Payton Pritchard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 4:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number