Tyler Herro vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 2
Tyler Herro plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.5 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in points leagues (35.2 fantasy points a game to 34.9) and Tyler Herro in 9-cat leagues (41st against 67th). 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 27, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #48
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 4.12, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #41
- +0.7 z, slot 4.05, $19
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #47
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 4.11, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #67
- -0.2 z, slot 6.07, $14
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 47th on our board to 48th.
9-cat leagues: Tyler Herro instead, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (41st to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Tyler Herro is ahead in 4 (AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 41.9 fantasy points to 40.0, on 30.2 minutes a night against 31.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Tyler Herro plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.5 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Tyler Herro | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.9 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 31.4 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 21.1 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| AssistsAST | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 59.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.2% | 73.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 33 | 62 |
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 | Tyler Herro | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.0 | 41.9 |
| Points | 24.2 | 25.0 |
| Rebounds | 5.7 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 3.1 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 2.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Tyler Herro | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +2.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | -1.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | +0.7 | -0.2 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Zion Williamson.
| Punt | Tyler Herro | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#65) | -1.1 (#110) |
| REB | +1.1 (#35) | -0.4 (#71) |
| AST | +0.1 (#53) | -0.1 (#58) |
| STL | +1.4 (#30) | -0.9 (#88) |
| BLK | +1.4 (#32) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | -0.6 (#83) | +1.3 (#34) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#38) | -3.6 (#184) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#63) | +1.2 (#36) |
| TO | +0.9 (#44) | +0.1 (#63) |
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)
- Tyler Herro: 3 games (Mon IND, Wed HOU, Sat CLE).
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed DEN, Thu SAC, Sat ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Tyler Herro: 39.5 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 35.2 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Tyler Herro playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Tyler Herro or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 47th on our board to 48th. 9-cat leagues: Tyler Herro instead, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (41st to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Tyler Herro or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Tyler Herro is ahead in 4 (AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Tyler Herro or Zion Williamson?
Tyler Herro plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 105.5 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number