Ayo Dosunmu or Zach LaVine? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 20th and 22nd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 12:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zach LaVine. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.9 fantasy points to 27.2.
9-cat leagues: Ayo Dosunmu instead, -0.6 category value for the week to -1.4, because his category mix is worth more there.
Ayo Dosunmu played 27.8 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.3 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.
Advertisement
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Ayo Dosunmu | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.8 (last 2) | 36.7 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 27.3 | 32.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.5 | 16.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 27.2 | 27.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -0.6 | -1.4 |
Schedule: Ayo Dosunmu Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR. Zach LaVine Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Ayo Dosunmu | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 14.8 | 19.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine, 27.9 fantasy points per game to 27.2.
9-cat leagues: Ayo Dosunmu instead, 74th overall against 104th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Ayo Dosunmu | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.2 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 27.3 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.8 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.5% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.5% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 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 Ayo Dosunmu playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Ayo Dosunmu or Zach LaVine in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zach LaVine. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.9 fantasy points to 27.2. 9-cat leagues: Ayo Dosunmu instead, -0.6 category value for the week to -1.4, because his category mix is worth more there. Ayo Dosunmu played 27.8 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.3 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, Ayo Dosunmu or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine, 27.9 fantasy points per game to 27.2. 9-cat leagues: Ayo Dosunmu instead, 74th overall against 104th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ayo Dosunmu or Zach LaVine?
Ayo Dosunmu is ahead in 5 (rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage, turnovers); Zach LaVine in 3 (points, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 12:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number