Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen? Week 2
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), SFs ranked 5th and 9th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 37.9
- 9-cat
- #20
- Last 4 FP
- 25.5
Day to day (Wrist)
3 games in Week 2, 1 back-to-back
Week 2 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 2 call
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Lauri Markkanen. Lauri Markkanen has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 75.7 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 6.2 category value for the week to 0.0.
Lauri Markkanen has 1 back-to-back in Week 2, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 28.6 a game over his last 4 games of 2026-27, against 33.1 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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), side by side
| This week | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 28.6 (last 4) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 15.1 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | Day to day (Wrist) |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 75.7 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 6.2 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler III Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC. Lauri Markkanen Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 49.0 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 13.2 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 4.1 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 5.4 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 2.9 |
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: Lauri Markkanen, 37.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 16th overall against 20th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Jimmy Butler III vs Lauri Markkanen: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 37.9 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 24.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 46.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 89.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.4 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 2 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen in Week 2?
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Lauri Markkanen. Lauri Markkanen has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 75.7 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 6.2 category value for the week to 0.0. Lauri Markkanen has 1 back-to-back in Week 2, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board. Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 28.6 a game over his last 4 games of 2026-27, against 33.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen, 37.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 16th overall against 20th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Lauri Markkanen?
Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 3 (assists, steals, field goal percentage); Lauri Markkanen in 6 (points, rebounds, blocks, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number