Sandro Mamukelashvili vs Zach LaVine: who to start in Week 1
Sandro Mamukelashvili plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 68.3 for Sandro Mamukelashvili. Over the season, Zach LaVine leads in points leagues (27.4 fantasy points a game to 22.8) and Sandro Mamukelashvili in 9-cat leagues (127th against 128th). 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #162
- 22.8 FP/G, slot 14.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -2.0 z, slot 11.07, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #111
- 27.4 FP/G, slot 10.03, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #128
- -2.0 z, slot 11.08, $4
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.4 fantasy points per game against 22.8, 111th on our board to 162nd.
9-cat leagues: Sandro Mamukelashvili instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (127th to 128th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Sandro Mamukelashvili is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Zach LaVine in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Sandro Mamukelashvili produces more: 37.4 fantasy points to 31.3, on 21.9 minutes a night against 31.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Sandro Mamukelashvili plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 68.3 for Sandro Mamukelashvili.
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 | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.8 | 27.4 |
| Minutes | 21.9 | 31.5 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 19.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.9 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.8% | 48.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.1% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 80 | 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 | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.4 | 31.3 |
| Points | 17.7 | 22.5 |
| Rebounds | 8.0 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 3.1 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 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 | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.9 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | -0.2 |
| Total | -2.0 | -2.0 |
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 rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Zach LaVine.
| Punt | Sandro Mamukelashvili | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#111) | -2.6 (#200) |
| REB | -1.8 (#128) | -0.7 (#76) |
| AST | -1.2 (#107) | -1.6 (#123) |
| STL | -1.7 (#127) | -1.2 (#98) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#124) | -1.1 (#93) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#125) | -3.1 (#189) |
| FG% | -2.8 (#152) | -1.9 (#119) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#120) | -2.8 (#168) |
| TO | -3.5 (#155) | -1.9 (#106) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: 3 games (Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA).
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: 18.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 22.8 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Sandro Mamukelashvili playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zach LaVine
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Sandro Mamukelashvili or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine. 27.4 fantasy points per game against 22.8, 111th on our board to 162nd. 9-cat leagues: Sandro Mamukelashvili instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (127th to 128th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Sandro Mamukelashvili or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Sandro Mamukelashvili 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, Sandro Mamukelashvili or Zach LaVine?
Sandro Mamukelashvili plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Zach LaVine: 82.3 projected fantasy points to 68.3 for Sandro Mamukelashvili.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number