Royce O'Neale vs Sandro Mamukelashvili: who to start in Week 1
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sandro Mamukelashvili 3. For that week alone, start Sandro Mamukelashvili: 67.1 projected fantasy points to 65.2 for Royce O'Neale. Over the season, Sandro Mamukelashvili leads in points leagues (22.4 fantasy points a game to 21.7) and Royce O'Neale in 9-cat leagues (125th against 136th). 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
- #174
- 21.7 FP/G, slot 15.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #125
- -1.9 z, slot 11.05, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #160
- 22.4 FP/G, slot 14.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #136
- -2.1 z, slot 12.04, $3
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Sandro Mamukelashvili. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 160th on our board to 174th.
9-cat leagues: Royce O'Neale instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (125th to 136th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Royce O'Neale is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Sandro Mamukelashvili in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Sandro Mamukelashvili produces more: 36.6 fantasy points to 28.9, on 22.0 minutes a night against 27.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sandro Mamukelashvili 3. For that week alone, start Sandro Mamukelashvili: 67.1 projected fantasy points to 65.2 for Royce O'Neale.
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 | Royce O'Neale | Sandro Mamukelashvili |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.7 | 22.4 |
| Minutes | 27.0 | 22.0 |
| PointsPTS | 9.5 | 10.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.0% | 52.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 71.1% | 73.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 78 | 80 |
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 | Royce O'Neale | Sandro Mamukelashvili |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.9 | 36.6 |
| Points | 12.6 | 17.3 |
| Rebounds | 6.1 | 8.0 |
| Assists | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.2 |
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 | Royce O'Neale | Sandro Mamukelashvili |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -0.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +1.0 | -0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | +1.4 |
| Total | -1.9 | -2.1 |
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 assists, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Sandro Mamukelashvili.
| Punt | Royce O'Neale | Sandro Mamukelashvili |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#96) | -1.1 (#116) |
| REB | -1.4 (#117) | -1.9 (#129) |
| AST | -1.3 (#119) | -1.3 (#115) |
| STL | -2.1 (#148) | -1.6 (#126) |
| BLK | -1.5 (#109) | -1.8 (#122) |
| 3PM | -3.0 (#180) | -1.8 (#129) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#90) | -2.9 (#155) |
| FT% | -1.8 (#132) | -1.7 (#125) |
| TO | -2.8 (#135) | -3.6 (#159) |
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)
- Royce O'Neale: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: 3 games (Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA).
Recent games
- Royce O'Neale: 14.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.7 on the board.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: 17.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 22.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Royce O'Neale playing tonight? · Is Sandro Mamukelashvili playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Royce O'Neale or Sandro Mamukelashvili?
Points leagues: Sandro Mamukelashvili. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 160th on our board to 174th. 9-cat leagues: Royce O'Neale instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (125th to 136th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Royce O'Neale or Sandro Mamukelashvili?
Category by category, Royce O'Neale is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Sandro Mamukelashvili in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Royce O'Neale or Sandro Mamukelashvili?
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sandro Mamukelashvili 3. For that week alone, start Sandro Mamukelashvili: 67.1 projected fantasy points to 65.2 for Royce O'Neale.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number