Peyton Watson vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Peyton Watson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Peyton Watson. Over the season, Zach LaVine leads in both formats: 27.9 fantasy points a game to 27.3, and 109th against 119th 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
- #111
- 27.3 FP/G, slot 10.03, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #119
- -1.7 z, slot 10.11, $6
- Points leagues
- #105
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.09, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #109
- -1.5 z, slot 10.01, $7
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.3, 105th on our board to 111th.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (109th to 119th).
Category by category, Peyton Watson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Peyton Watson produces more: 33.1 fantasy points to 31.4, on 29.6 minutes a night against 32.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Peyton Watson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Peyton Watson.
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 | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.3 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 29.6 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.2% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.9% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 39 |
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 | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.1 | 31.4 |
| Points | 17.3 | 22.4 |
| Rebounds | 5.6 | 3.3 |
| Assists | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.3 |
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 | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.1 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.1 | -0.3 |
| Total | -1.7 | -1.5 |
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 points, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Peyton Watson.
| Punt | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#127) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -1.4 (#118) | -0.1 (#60) |
| AST | -1.0 (#101) | -0.9 (#93) |
| STL | -1.7 (#129) | -0.8 (#87) |
| BLK | -2.9 (#163) | -0.6 (#80) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#116) | -2.6 (#169) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#123) | -1.1 (#91) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#104) | -2.4 (#155) |
| TO | -1.7 (#103) | -1.2 (#87) |
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)
- Peyton Watson: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Peyton Watson: 16.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.3 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Peyton Watson playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Peyton Watson, Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.3, 105th on our board to 111th. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (109th to 119th).
Who wins more categories, Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Peyton Watson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine?
Peyton Watson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Peyton Watson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number