Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 7th and 7th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 6:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 2 call
Both have finished Week 1, so this is the call for Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1).
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Evan Mobley. Evan Mobley has 4 games counted to 3 for Lauri Markkanen, for 160.1 projected fantasy points against 120.1.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, 11.5 category value for the week to 5.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Evan Mobley's minutes are up: 34.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.2 on the board.
Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 29.6 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 34.4 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (Week 2) | 4 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 34.7 (last 2) | 29.6 (last 3) |
| Minutes, board | 32.2 | 34.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 13.0 | 14.6 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 160.1 | 120.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 5.7 | 11.5 |
Schedule: Evan Mobley Thu @PHI, Sat BKN. Lauri Markkanen Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 73.0 | 76.8 |
| Rebounds | 36.1 | 20.9 |
| Assists | 14.1 | 6.7 |
| Steals | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| Blocks | 6.8 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 4.1 | 8.1 |
| Turnovers | 7.1 | 4.7 |
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 3 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen, 40.0 fantasy points per game to 40.0.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 11th overall against 33rd.
Evan Mobley vs Lauri Markkanen: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Evan Mobley | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.0 | 40.0 |
| Minutes | 32.2 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 25.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.8% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.8% | 89.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.6 |
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 Evan Mobley playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen in Week 1?
Both have finished Week 1, so this is the call for Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1). Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Evan Mobley. Evan Mobley has 4 games counted to 3 for Lauri Markkanen, for 160.1 projected fantasy points against 120.1. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen instead, 11.5 category value for the week to 5.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Evan Mobley's minutes are up: 34.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.2 on the board. Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 29.6 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 34.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen, 40.0 fantasy points per game to 40.0. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 11th overall against 33rd.
Who wins more categories, Evan Mobley or Lauri Markkanen?
Evan Mobley is ahead in 4 (rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage); Lauri Markkanen in 5 (points, steals, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 6:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number