Nikola Vučević vs Saddiq Bey: who to start in Week 1
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each. Over the season, Saddiq Bey leads in points leagues (29.0 fantasy points a game to 29.0) and Nikola Vučević in 9-cat leagues (77th against 79th). 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #92
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.08, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #77
- -0.7 z, slot 7.05, $11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.07, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #79
- -0.8 z, slot 7.07, $11
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Saddiq Bey. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 91st on our board to 92nd.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević instead, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (77th to 79th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Saddiq Bey in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.8 fantasy points to 34.9, on 25.6 minutes a night against 29.9. 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), Saddiq Bey 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each.
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 | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 25.6 | 29.9 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 17.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.6 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 45.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 83.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 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 | Nikola Vučević | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.8 | 34.9 |
| Points | 18.7 | 20.8 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 4.2 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.3 |
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 | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +1.0 |
| Total | -0.7 | -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 rebounds, assists, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Saddiq Bey.
| Punt | Nikola Vučević | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#65) | -1.1 (#110) |
| REB | -1.7 (#124) | -0.7 (#83) |
| AST | -0.5 (#71) | -0.3 (#63) |
| STL | +0.5 (#46) | -0.4 (#72) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#80) | +0.1 (#54) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#79) | -1.4 (#110) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#85) | -0.3 (#70) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#89) | -1.5 (#115) |
| TO | -1.7 (#100) | -1.9 (#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).
- Saddiq Bey: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 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.
- Saddiq Bey: 22.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 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 Saddiq Bey playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nikola Vučević or Saddiq Bey?
Points leagues: Saddiq Bey. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 91st on our board to 92nd. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Vučević instead, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (77th to 79th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nikola Vučević or Saddiq Bey?
Category by category, Nikola Vučević 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, Nikola Vučević or Saddiq Bey?
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3, an even 87.1 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number