Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 21st and 22nd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 3:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 27.7
- 9-cat
- #116
- Last 10 FP
- 31.6
Day to day (Back)
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Brandin Podziemski. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.7 fantasy points to 27.4.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -3.2 category value for the week to -4.1.
Brandin Podziemski has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Brandin Podziemski played 28.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 28.5 on the board.
Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 34.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.5 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.
Brandin Podziemski rookie cardsZach LaVine rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Brandin Podziemski | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 28.7 (last 5) | 34.2 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 28.5 | 31.5 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.5 | 20.0 |
| Injury | Day to day (Back) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 55.4 | 54.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -3.2 | -4.1 |
Schedule: Brandin Podziemski Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX. Zach LaVine Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Brandin Podziemski | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 27.6 | 39.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.2 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 7.4 | 4.8 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 4.1 |
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
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski, 27.7 fantasy points per game to 27.4.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, 116th overall against 128th.
Brandin Podziemski vs Zach LaVine: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Brandin Podziemski | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.4 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 31.5 |
| PointsPTS | 13.8 | 19.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 48.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.7% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.0 |
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 Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Brandin Podziemski. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.7 fantasy points to 27.4. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -3.2 category value for the week to -4.1. Brandin Podziemski has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Brandin Podziemski played 28.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 28.5 on the board. Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 34.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski, 27.7 fantasy points per game to 27.4. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, 116th overall against 128th.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Zach LaVine?
Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers); Zach LaVine in 5 (points, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number