Anthony Black or Zach LaVine? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 18th and 20th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 29.4
- 9-cat
- #121
- Last 10 FP
- 19.9
Game-time decision (Ankle)
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Anthony Black. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.4 fantasy points to 27.9.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.4 category value for the week to -1.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Anthony Black's minutes are down: 14.2 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 29.8 on the board.
Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.0 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Anthony Black rookie cardsZach LaVine rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 14.2 (last 5) | 36.7 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 29.8 | 32.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.2 | 16.7 |
| Injury | Game-time decision (Ankle) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 29.4 | 27.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.8 | -1.4 |
Schedule: Anthony Black Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. Zach LaVine Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 15.0 | 19.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 3.0 |
| Assists | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
For the next game, the market-based projection favors Zach LaVine: 29.3 fantasy points on Sun, Oct 25 against 20.5 for Anthony Black.
Points leagues: Anthony Black, 29.4 fantasy points per game to 27.9.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, 104th overall against 121st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Anthony Black vs Zach LaVine: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Anthony Black | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 29.8 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.8 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.7% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.2% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Anthony Black playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Anthony Black or Zach LaVine in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Anthony Black. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.4 fantasy points to 27.9. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, -1.4 category value for the week to -1.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Anthony Black's minutes are down: 14.2 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 29.8 on the board. Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Anthony Black or Zach LaVine?
For the next game, the market-based projection favors Zach LaVine: 29.3 fantasy points on Sun, Oct 25 against 20.5 for Anthony Black. Points leagues: Anthony Black, 29.4 fantasy points per game to 27.9. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine instead, 104th overall against 121st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Black or Zach LaVine?
Anthony Black is ahead in 4 (rebounds, assists, steals, blocks); Zach LaVine in 4 (points, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number