Ivica Zubac or Onyeka Okongwu? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 15th and 16th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 33.1
- 9-cat
- #40
- Last 1 FP
- 22.5
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 Onyeka Okongwu. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 33.1 fantasy points to 32.4.
9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, 1.8 category value for the week to -1.9.
Onyeka Okongwu has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Ivica Zubac's minutes are up: 33.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.4 on the board.
Onyeka Okongwu played 29.3 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 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 | Ivica Zubac | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.6 (last 1) | 29.3 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 30.4 | 30.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 12.8 | 9.8 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 64.8 | 66.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.9 | 1.8 |
Schedule: Ivica Zubac Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN. Onyeka Okongwu Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Ivica Zubac | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 28.4 | 29.5 |
| Rebounds | 21.8 | 14.9 |
| Assists | 4.1 | 6.7 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 3.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 3.5 |
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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu, 33.1 fantasy points per game to 32.4.
9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, 40th overall against 85th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Ivica Zubac | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 33.1 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 14.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.9 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 3.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 59.6% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.4% | 76.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 Ivica Zubac playing tonight? · Is Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Ivica Zubac or Onyeka Okongwu in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Onyeka Okongwu. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 33.1 fantasy points to 32.4. 9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, 1.8 category value for the week to -1.9. Onyeka Okongwu has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Ivica Zubac's minutes are up: 33.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.4 on the board. Onyeka Okongwu played 29.3 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Ivica Zubac or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu, 33.1 fantasy points per game to 32.4. 9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, 40th overall against 85th.
Who wins more categories, Ivica Zubac or Onyeka Okongwu?
Ivica Zubac is ahead in 2 (rebounds, field goal percentage); Onyeka Okongwu in 6 (points, assists, steals, blocks, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number