Nikola Vučević vs Rudy Gobert: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Rudy Gobert in points leagues (33.0 fantasy points a game to 32.6) and Nikola Vučević in 9-cat leagues (57th against 77th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #67
- 32.6 FP/G, slot 6.07, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #57
- +0.3 z, slot 5.09, $17
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #65
- 33.0 FP/G, slot 6.05, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #77
- -0.5 z, slot 7.05, $12
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Rudy Gobert. 33.0 fantasy points per game against 32.6, 65th on our board to 67th.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (57th to 77th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 41.3 fantasy points to 37.9, on 28.4 minutes a night against 31.3. 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), Rudy Gobert 3. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 99.0 projected fantasy points to 97.7 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Nikola Vučević | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.6 | 33.0 |
| Minutes | 28.4 | 31.3 |
| PointsPTS | 15.1 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.4 | 11.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.3% | 68.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 52.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 76 |
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 | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.3 | 37.9 |
| Points | 19.1 | 12.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 13.2 |
| Assists | 4.2 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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 | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.1 | +2.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | +2.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +2.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -3.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | +0.6 |
| Total | +0.3 | -0.5 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Rudy Gobert.
| Punt | Nikola Vučević | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.5 (#43) | +0.3 (#52) |
| REB | -0.9 (#82) | -3.8 (#242) |
| AST | +0.5 (#44) | +0.4 (#49) |
| STL | +1.4 (#29) | -0.0 (#65) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#61) | -3.1 (#177) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#54) | +1.2 (#36) |
| FG% | +0.1 (#62) | -4.1 (#202) |
| FT% | +0.1 (#60) | +2.8 (#15) |
| TO | -0.5 (#71) | -1.4 (#96) |
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)
- Nikola Vučević: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Rudy Gobert: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Nikola Vučević: 20.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 32.6 on the board.
- Rudy Gobert: 34.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.0 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 Nikola Vučević or Rudy Gobert in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Rudy Gobert. 33.0 fantasy points per game against 32.6, 65th on our board to 67th. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (57th to 77th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nikola Vučević or Rudy Gobert?
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nikola Vučević or Rudy Gobert?
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Rudy Gobert 3. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 99.0 projected fantasy points to 97.7 for Nikola Vučević.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number