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Wed, Oct 21 · 2026-27

Player projections

Expected minutes, points, rebounds, assists and threes for every player, from recent form, the opponent's defense by position and pace. Each number comes with an 80% range.

01Projections

Wed, Oct 21 · 11 games

Based on 2025-26: nobody has played 5 games of 2026-27 yet, so these use last season's per-minute numbers and expected minutes on each player's current roster. Players with fewer than 20 games last season are left out until they play. They switch to this season's games on their own.

ATL at ORL 7:00 PM ET · MIL at WAS 7:00 PM ET · MIN at MIA 7:30 PM ET · CHA at BKN 7:30 PM ET · CHI at TOR 7:30 PM ET · UTA at MEM 8:00 PM ET · IND at NOP 8:00 PM ET · DAL at HOU 8:30 PM ET · GSW at LAL 10:00 PM ET · PHX at POR 10:00 PM ET · SAC at LAC 10:30 PM ET

PlayerMatchupMINPTS ↑REBAST3PM
Will RichardGuardat LAL123.90-101.50-40.80-20.60-2
Keon EllisGuardvs CHA144.40-111.20-30.70-20.80-2
Jalen PickettGuardvs SAC154.60-112.00-52.11-40.90-2
Sion JamesGuardat BKN204.60-103.00-61.80-40.90-2
Matisse ThybulleGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense134.60-121.50-40.70-21.00-2
Sidy CissokoGuardvs PHXvs top-5 defense195.10-112.20-51.50-30.80-2
Bryce McGowensGuardvs INDvs bottom-5 defense135.11-121.30-40.90-20.50-2
Svi MykhailiukGuardat MEM166.71-141.80-41.30-31.40-3
Jamal SheadGuardvs CHI236.81-141.80-45.73-91.00-2
Terance MannGuardvs CHA246.91-132.91-62.91-60.80-2
Nah'Shon HylandGuardat MIA136.92-151.50-42.21-41.30-3
Kris DunnGuardvs SAC277.01-143.11-63.51-70.90-2
Kobe SandersGuardvs SAC207.21-142.20-51.60-41.20-3
Ben SarafGuardvs CHA217.31-152.00-43.21-60.40-2
Ben SheppardGuardat NOP227.31-153.11-61.80-41.30-3
Gary Trent Jr.Guardat WAS207.61-151.00-31.20-31.70-3
Ja'Kobe WalterGuardvs CHI217.82-152.60-61.30-31.50-3
Buddy HieldGuardat TOR178.12-162.40-51.40-31.50-3
Daeqwon PlowdenGuardat LAC218.22-162.30-51.00-21.50-3
Nique CliffordGuardat LAC258.22-153.51-72.30-51.00-2
Luke KennardGuardat POR228.22-162.30-52.20-41.40-3
Vit KrejciGuardvs PHXvs top-5 defense228.42-162.20-51.50-31.90-4
Walter Clayton Jr.Guardvs UTAvs bottom-5 defense218.52-162.20-54.52-81.20-3
Quenton JacksonGuardat NOP178.52-162.10-52.61-50.80-2
Luguentz DortGuardat ORLvs bottom-5 defense278.52-163.61-71.20-31.80-4
Nolan TraoréGuardvs CHA228.52-161.60-43.71-71.00-2
Jordan GoodwinGuardat POR238.52-164.72-92.10-41.50-3
Marcus SmartGuardvs DALvs top-5 defense289.23-172.71-53.01-61.50-3
Jaden HardyGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense179.63-181.50-41.10-31.90-4
Davion MitchellGuardvs MIN289.63-172.71-56.73-111.30-3
Egor DeminGuardvs CHA259.83-182.91-63.21-62.20-4
Aaron WigginsGuardat ORLvs bottom-5 defense229.83-183.21-61.70-41.50-3
Jordan MillerGuardvs SAC229.83-182.90-62.30-50.60-2
Dennis SchroderGuardat BKN2410.23-182.60-54.72-81.00-2
A.J. GreenGuardat WAS2910.23-182.70-52.00-42.81-5
Ziaire WilliamsGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense2310.33-192.40-51.10-31.50-3
Javon SmallGuardvs UTAvs bottom-5 defense2110.53-193.41-74.12-71.60-3
Scoot HendersonGuardvs PHXvs top-5 defense1910.53-191.90-42.71-51.40-3
Carlton CarringtonGuardvs MILvs bottom-5 defense2710.84-193.41-64.82-82.10-4
Pelle LarssonGuardvs MIN2611.95-203.61-73.51-70.90-2
Max ChristieGuardat HOUvs top-5 defense2911.95-203.11-61.80-42.20-4
Cam SpencerGuardvs UTAvs bottom-5 defense2411.94-212.70-66.13-102.21-4
Bilal CoulibalyGuardvs MILvs bottom-5 defense2611.95-204.42-82.71-51.20-3
Moses MoodyGuardat LAL2611.95-203.21-61.60-42.41-5
Dyson DanielsGuardat ORLvs bottom-5 defense3211.94-196.93-115.83-90.30-2
Isaiah CollierGuardat MEM2612.05-212.60-57.54-120.50-2
Malik MonkGuardat LAC2212.14-211.80-42.91-51.90-4
De'Anthony MeltonGuardat LAL2312.24-223.11-62.61-51.40-3
Collin GillespieGuardat POR2812.25-213.91-74.42-82.61-5
Klay ThompsonGuardvs MIN2212.45-222.20-51.50-32.91-5
Donte DiVincenzoGuardat MIA3012.55-214.31-84.01-73.01-5
Tre JohnsonGuardvs MILvs bottom-5 defense2412.55-222.90-62.10-42.00-4
Brandon WilliamsGuardat LAL2212.95-232.80-63.91-70.50-2
Quentin GrimesGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense2913.26-223.51-73.21-61.60-3
Jordan PooleGuardvs INDvs bottom-5 defense2313.45-232.00-43.01-62.31-4
Reed SheppardGuardvs DALvs top-5 defense2613.46-232.91-63.41-62.61-5
Brandin PodziemskiGuardat LAL2813.46-234.82-83.71-71.80-4
Jalen GreenGuardat POR2113.75-242.80-62.20-41.60-3
Aaron NesmithGuardat NOP2913.86-234.11-71.90-42.31-5
Tim Hardaway Jr.Guardvs MIN2614.06-232.70-51.40-32.71-5
Jalen SuggsGuardvs ATL2714.06-233.91-75.63-92.10-4
Tre JonesGuardat TOR2714.16-233.11-65.22-90.60-2
Cedric CowardGuardvs UTAvs bottom-5 defense2614.56-246.23-103.01-61.60-3
Jeremiah FearsGuardvs INDvs bottom-5 defense2614.77-243.81-73.51-71.20-3
Anthony BlackGuardvs ATL2915.17-253.81-73.71-71.50-3
Jaime Jaquez Jr.Guardat WAS2815.27-254.92-94.82-80.70-2
Ayo DosunmuGuardat MIA2715.37-253.61-73.81-71.80-4
Grayson AllenGuardat BKN2815.47-252.81-63.71-72.91-5
Collin SextonGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense2415.57-262.20-53.31-61.60-3
Jrue HolidayGuardvs PHXvs top-5 defense2915.87-264.42-85.83-102.41-5
Kevin Porter Jr.Guardat WAS3015.97-254.72-86.94-111.10-3
Immanuel QuickleyGuardvs CHI3116.47-254.01-76.13-102.51-5
Coby WhiteGuardat BKN2516.48-263.21-63.91-72.10-4
Tyler HerroGuardat WAS2516.58-273.81-73.41-62.00-4
Josh GiddeyGuardat TOR3116.98-268.14-128.85-131.80-4
Andrew NembhardGuardat NOP3116.98-262.81-57.64-121.80-4
Ryan RollinsGuardat WAS3117.08-264.52-85.63-92.30-5
Amen ThompsonGuardvs DALvs top-5 defense3517.18-267.34-115.02-80.30-2
Kon KnueppelGuardat BKN3117.18-264.92-83.21-63.11-6
Zach LaVineGuardat LAC2917.28-282.40-52.00-42.31-4
Scottie BarnesGuardvs CHI3318.09-277.44-116.13-100.80-2
Bennedict MathurinGuardvs INDvs bottom-5 defense2918.09-295.62-92.40-51.30-3
Darius GarlandGuardvs SAC2918.09-292.20-56.53-112.61-5
Jimmy ButlerGuardat LAL2818.09-294.92-84.52-80.70-2
CJ McCollumGuardat ORLvs bottom-5 defense2919.010-303.31-63.81-72.41-5
Dillon BrooksGuardat POR3019.310-303.41-61.70-42.10-4
Desmond BaneGuardvs ATL3320.110-304.11-74.12-72.00-4
Shaedon SharpeGuardvs PHXvs top-5 defense2920.211-314.11-72.50-51.90-4
LaMelo BallGuardat MIA2820.611-325.12-97.44-123.82-7
Nickeil Alexander-WalkerGuardat ORLvs bottom-5 defense3320.911-313.41-63.61-63.11-6
Austin ReavesGuardvs GSWvs bottom-5 defense3422.712-334.52-85.32-92.20-4
Keyonte GeorgeGuardat MEM3223.913-353.81-76.33-102.51-5
Devin BookerGuardat POR3324.814-363.61-65.73-91.70-4
Stephen CurryGuardat LAL3025.714-373.41-64.62-84.12-7
Anthony EdwardsGuardat MIA3429.217-415.12-83.81-73.31-6

Small numbers under each projection are the 80% range. Defense chips rank the opponent on points allowed per 100 possessions to his position group: bottom-5 means one of the five most generous. 95 players shown.

Check a prop line

Betting tools

Projection 31.8 (80% range 19-44). Type the line from your sportsbook to see the over and under chances.

One game is noisy: even a good projection misses by several points most nights. Add it to a parlay.

02Track record

2025-26 backtest

No projected games are final yet. Here is how the model did replaying 2025-26.

2025-26 backtest: average miss per player game

StatThis modelSeason averageLast 10 averageGain vs season avgInside 80% range
Points4.584.694.662.2%80%
Rebounds1.881.911.931.6%81%
Assists1.351.371.371.3%80%
Threes made0.890.900.911.1%80%
Minutes5.035.435.127.4%n/a

Lower is better. Season and last-10 averages are the simple guesses the model has to beat.

How this works

The method

Two steps. First we project minutes from a player's minutes per game this season, over his last 10 games and over his last 5 (the last 5 count the most), plus home court and the second night of a back-to-back. Then each stat is his per-minute rate (season, last 10 and last 5) times those minutes, adjusted for the opponent and the pace.

The opponent adjustment compares how many points, rebounds, assists and threes the opponent allows per 100 possessions to his position group (guards, forwards or centers) with the league. Early in a season it leans on last season's number. An opponent that allows 10% more points to his position adds about 2.1% to his points. A game 3% faster than average adds about 5.5%.

The weights were fit by least squares on 24,874 player games from 2025-26. The 80% ranges come from how far real results landed from the projection in testing, grouped by projected minutes.

How we tested it

We replayed 2025-26 from Mon, Dec 1 to Sun, Apr 12, refitting on the first of each month using only earlier games, and projected 19,968 player games. The average miss on points was 4.58, against 4.69 for his season average and 4.66 for his last-10 average. The gain is small, but it held for every stat, and 80% of real point totals landed inside the 80% range.

A gradient boosting model on the same inputs missed by 4.65 points, so we kept the simpler model. It runs inside our database every morning.

What it cannot see

Injuries, rest days, who starts and trades after the morning update. It projects every active player as if he plays, and it is graded only on players who did. Minutes are the biggest source of error: had we known each player's real minutes, the average miss on points would have been 3.74 instead of 4.58. Blowouts cut starters' minutes and are not predicted.

Until a player has 5 games in a season, his projection uses last season's per-minute numbers and his expected minutes on his current roster (last season's minutes handed out down the depth chart). That early-season mode could not be tested, because our data starts in 2025-26. Rookies without NBA games get no projection, and neither do players with fewer than 20 games last season (a few games is too small a sample) until they play this season (Decision #87).

Updated every morning for the next seven days of games. Once a game tips off its projections are frozen, and those frozen numbers are what we grade.