Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 21st and 21st at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 27.9
- 9-cat
- #109
- Last 2 FP
- 35.1
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zach LaVine. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.9 fantasy points to 27.3.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 category value for the week to -1.7.
Peyton Watson played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.6 on the board.
Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.0 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.
Peyton Watson rookie cardsZach LaVine rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.4 (last 1) | 36.7 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 29.6 | 32.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 8.3 | 16.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 27.3 | 27.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.7 | -1.5 |
Schedule: Peyton Watson Thu @PHI, Sat BKN. Zach LaVine Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 14.2 | 19.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 3.0 |
| Assists | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 2.1 |
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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Zach LaVine, 27.9 fantasy points per game to 27.3.
9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, 109th overall against 119th.
Peyton Watson vs Zach LaVine: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Peyton Watson | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.3 | 27.9 |
| Minutes | 29.6 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 19.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.2% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.9% | 86.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 2.1 |
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 Peyton Watson playing tonight? · Is Zach LaVine playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zach LaVine. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.9 fantasy points to 27.3. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, -1.5 category value for the week to -1.7. Peyton Watson played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.6 on the board. Zach LaVine's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine?
Points leagues: Zach LaVine, 27.9 fantasy points per game to 27.3. 9-cat leagues: Zach LaVine again, 109th overall against 119th.
Who wins more categories, Peyton Watson or Zach LaVine?
Peyton Watson is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Zach LaVine in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number