P.J. Washington vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 2
P.J. Washington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start P.J. Washington: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine. Over the season, P.J. Washington leads in points leagues (29.2 fantasy points a game to 29.1) and Zach LaVine in 9-cat leagues (76th against 157th). 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 26, 8:30 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #90
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.06, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #157
- -2.5 z, slot 14.01
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.1 FP/G, slot 8.07, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #76
- -0.7 z, slot 7.04, $11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: P.J. Washington. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 90th on our board to 91st.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (76th to 157th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, P.J. Washington is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, P.J. Washington produces more: 33.4 fantasy points to 32.3, on 31.4 minutes a night against 32.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
P.J. Washington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start P.J. Washington: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine.
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 | P.J. Washington | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.2 | 29.1 |
| Minutes | 31.4 | 32.5 |
| PointsPTS | 14.1 | 20.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.0 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 1.7 | 2.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.8% | 48.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 66.1% | 87.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 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 | P.J. Washington | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.4 | 32.3 |
| Points | 16.2 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 8.1 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.4 |
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 | P.J. Washington | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.4 | +1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | -2.5 | -0.7 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to P.J. Washington.
| Punt | P.J. Washington | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.1 (#173) | -1.6 (#148) |
| REB | -3.5 (#218) | +0.6 (#43) |
| AST | -1.6 (#127) | -0.3 (#65) |
| STL | -2.0 (#143) | -0.3 (#69) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#207) | +0.1 (#55) |
| 3PM | -2.1 (#148) | -2.0 (#138) |
| FG% | -2.5 (#142) | -0.5 (#74) |
| FT% | -1.1 (#100) | -2.0 (#141) |
| TO | -2.7 (#132) | -0.4 (#71) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- P.J. Washington: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu @NOP, Sat @MEM).
Recent games
- P.J. Washington: 26.4 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 40.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is P.J. Washington playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, P.J. Washington or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: P.J. Washington. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 90th on our board to 91st. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -0.7 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (76th to 157th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, P.J. Washington or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, P.J. Washington is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and TO) and Zach LaVine in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, P.J. Washington or Zach LaVine?
P.J. Washington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start P.J. Washington: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 87.4 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 8:30 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number