Neemias Queta or Nikola Vučević? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 23rd and 26th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 4:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Nikola Vučević. Nikola Vučević has 1 game counted to 0 for Neemias Queta, for 29.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -0.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Neemias Queta's minutes are down: 22.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 24.9 on the board.
Nikola Vučević's minutes are down: 4.5 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.6 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 | Neemias Queta | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 22.1 (last 2) | 4.5 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 24.9 | 25.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 8.9 | 4.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 29.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | -0.7 |
Schedule: Neemias Queta Tue @DET, Fri NYK. Nikola Vučević Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Neemias Queta | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 13.3 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 7.6 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 1.2 |
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: Nikola Vučević, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 27.7.
9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, 63rd overall against 75th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Neemias Queta vs Nikola Vučević: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Neemias Queta | Nikola Vučević |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 24.9 | 25.6 |
| PointsPTS | 10.1 | 13.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 7.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 63.3% | 49.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.7% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.2 |
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 Neemias Queta playing tonight? · Is Nikola Vučević playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Neemias Queta or Nikola Vučević in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Nikola Vučević. Nikola Vučević has 1 game counted to 0 for Neemias Queta, for 29.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -0.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Neemias Queta's minutes are down: 22.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 24.9 on the board. Nikola Vučević's minutes are down: 4.5 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Neemias Queta or Nikola Vučević?
Points leagues: Nikola Vučević, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 27.7. 9-cat leagues: Neemias Queta instead, 63rd overall against 75th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Neemias Queta or Nikola Vučević?
Neemias Queta is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Nikola Vučević in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 4:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number