Nikola Vučević vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, Nikola Vučević leads in points leagues (29.0 fantasy points a game to 27.7) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 9-cat leagues (61st against 75th). 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, 8:26 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 leagues.
- Points leagues
- #107
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.0 z, slot 6.01, $15
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 95th on our board to 107th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (61st to 75th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Vučević produces more: 40.8 fantasy points to 34.0, 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), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 25.6 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.6 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 55.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.8% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 78 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.8 | 34.0 |
| Points | 18.7 | 15.8 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 4.2 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| 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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.7 | -0.0 |
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 field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Nikola Vučević.
| Punt | Nikola Vučević | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#67) | +0.5 (#44) |
| REB | -1.6 (#126) | -0.9 (#89) |
| AST | -0.5 (#72) | +0.8 (#38) |
| STL | +0.5 (#47) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#82) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#81) | +0.5 (#46) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#86) | -1.3 (#94) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#91) | -0.2 (#69) |
| TO | -1.7 (#102) | -0.9 (#76) |
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).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Nikola Vučević or Wendell Carter Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Nikola Vučević: 2.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 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 Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nikola Vučević or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 95th on our board to 107th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (61st to 75th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nikola Vučević or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Nikola Vučević is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nikola Vučević or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Nikola Vučević plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Nikola Vučević: 87.1 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number