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Fri, Oct 23 · 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

Fri, Oct 23 · 12 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.

NYK at BOS 7:00 PM ET · ATL at CHA 7:00 PM ET · DAL at IND 7:00 PM ET · MIN at ORL 7:00 PM ET · TOR at WAS 7:00 PM ET · DET at MIA 8:00 PM ET · CHI at MIL 8:00 PM ET · HOU at SAS 9:30 PM ET · NOP at UTA 9:30 PM ET · MEM at GSW 10:00 PM ET · LAC at LAL 10:00 PM ET · POR at SAC 10:00 PM ET

PlayerMatchupMINPTS ↓REBAST3PM
Luka DoncicForwardvs LAC3531.419-447.13-118.04-123.61-6
Kawhi LeonardForwardat WASvs bottom-5 defense3127.716-396.33-103.61-62.51-5
Lauri MarkkanenForwardvs NOP3327.416-397.13-112.30-52.81-5
Giannis AntetokounmpoForwardvs DETvs top-5 defense2524.714-378.75-134.82-80.40-2
Pascal SiakamForwardvs DAL3224.614-356.83-114.01-71.70-4
Deni AvdijaForwardat SACvs bottom-5 defense3324.113-356.73-116.83-111.80-4
Victor WembanyamaForwardvs HOU2924.114-3610.76-163.01-61.80-4
Kevin DurantForwardat SAS3523.913-355.02-84.42-82.20-4
Paolo BancheroForwardvs MIN3422.012-328.34-125.02-81.10-3
Trey Murphy IIIForwardat UTA3421.611-325.82-94.01-73.11-6
Jalen JohnsonForwardat CHA3421.611-329.65-147.34-111.60-3
Norman PowellForwardat MIL2921.612-333.51-62.50-52.71-5
Zion WilliamsonForwardat UTA2921.412-335.83-103.41-60.00-1
Cooper FlaggForwardat IND3321.211-316.83-114.42-71.00-2
Jaren Jackson Jr.Forwardvs NOP3020.011-315.93-102.10-51.80-4
Brandon IngramForwardat LAL3319.910-305.12-83.41-61.60-3
Brandon MillerForwardvs ATL3019.810-314.82-83.31-63.01-5
RJ BarrettForwardat WASvs bottom-5 defense3019.210-305.32-93.31-61.60-3
Alperen SengunForwardat SAS3219.19-298.34-125.93-90.50-2
Jerami GrantForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense2918.29-293.41-62.10-52.20-4
Saddiq BeyForwardat UTA3117.99-275.62-92.71-52.10-4
Franz WagnerForwardvs MIN2517.39-284.42-82.71-51.10-3
Matas BuzelisForwardat MIL2916.28-265.83-102.10-42.30-4
Brice SensabaughForwardvs NOP2415.97-273.31-62.10-42.31-4
Naji MarshallForwardat IND2915.57-254.82-83.21-60.80-2
Andrew WigginsForwardvs DETvs top-5 defense3015.57-254.82-82.61-52.00-4
OG AnunobyForwardat BOS3215.06-244.62-81.90-42.20-4
Jabari Smith Jr.Forwardat SAS3414.76-236.43-101.80-42.10-4
Onyeka OkongwuForwardat CHA3014.76-237.24-112.91-51.90-4
KyShawn GeorgeForwardvs TOR2814.77-245.02-94.42-82.00-4
Kelly Oubre Jr.Forwardvs DAL3114.56-235.22-81.70-41.70-4
Jaden McDanielsForwardat ORLvs top-5 defense3114.56-234.21-72.61-51.30-3
Paul GeorgeForwardvs NYK2714.46-244.31-83.01-62.31-5
P.J. WashingtonForwardat IND3014.36-237.24-111.70-41.30-3
Airious BaileyForwardvs NOP2714.36-244.42-82.00-42.00-4
Santi AldamaForwardat IND2714.36-246.93-112.91-61.60-3
Bobby PortisForwardvs DETvs top-5 defense2414.06-236.53-111.60-42.00-4
John CollinsForwardat MIA2713.76-235.52-91.00-31.30-3
De'Andre HunterForwardvs PORvs top-5 defense2613.66-234.01-72.00-41.60-3
Naz ReidForwardvs ATL2613.56-236.13-102.20-52.00-4
Kyle KuzmaForwardvs CHIvs bottom-5 defense2613.46-224.62-82.81-51.20-3
Toumani CamaraForwardat SACvs bottom-5 defense3213.45-215.02-82.50-52.61-5
Mikal BridgesForwardat BOS3213.05-213.31-63.21-61.80-4
Keldon JohnsonForwardvs HOU2312.95-235.12-91.30-31.10-3
Tobias HarrisForwardvs HOU2712.85-224.82-82.40-51.20-3
GG JacksonForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense2212.85-224.41-81.50-31.10-3
Jaylen WellsForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense2612.45-213.21-61.60-41.80-4
Duncan RobinsonForwardat MIA2712.35-212.70-52.00-42.81-5
Jarace WalkerForwardvs DAL2612.25-215.32-92.71-51.80-4
Wendell Carter Jr.Forwardvs MIN2911.95-207.44-121.90-40.90-2
Nicolas ClaxtonForwardat MIL2711.74-206.93-113.81-70.00-1
Sandro MamukelashviliForwardvs LAC2210.93-204.72-91.90-41.40-3
Jonathan KumingaForwardat ORLvs top-5 defense2110.83-205.02-92.00-40.80-2
Rui HachimuraForwardat LAL2810.84-193.01-60.80-21.50-3
Julian ChampagnieForwardvs HOU2710.84-195.42-91.50-32.20-4
Will RileyForwardvs TOR2210.53-192.90-62.00-41.00-2
Jalen SmithForwardat MIL2110.53-196.93-111.30-31.60-3
Khris MiddletonForwardvs TOR2310.33-193.71-72.81-51.00-2
Micah PotterForwardat SACvs bottom-5 defense2010.23-195.12-91.60-31.50-3
Jay HuffForwardvs DAL2110.23-194.21-81.60-41.50-3
Precious AchiuwaForwardvs PORvs top-5 defense2410.13-196.73-111.40-30.40-2
Tristan Da SilvaForwardvs MIN2510.13-183.71-71.60-41.50-3
Isaiah StewartForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense2310.03-195.02-91.20-30.70-2
Tari EasonForwardat SAS2610.03-185.93-101.40-31.40-3
Zaccharie RisacherForwardat IND2310.03-184.01-81.10-31.40-3
Daniel GaffordForwardat IND229.93-187.33-121.10-30.00-1
Gui SantosForwardvs MEMvs bottom-5 defense219.73-184.11-82.51-51.20-3
Harrison BarnesForwardvs HOU269.73-172.60-51.80-41.70-4
Royce O'NealeForwardvs ATL289.73-174.72-82.61-52.61-5
Derrick Jones Jr.Forwardat LAL279.53-173.21-61.30-31.00-2
Isaac OkoroForwardat MIL279.33-172.71-51.60-41.20-3
Herbert JonesForwardat UTA289.03-173.51-63.01-61.40-3
Cody WilliamsForwardat ORLvs top-5 defense248.72-163.01-62.00-40.40-2
Collin Murray-BoylesForwardat WASvs bottom-5 defense228.72-175.12-91.90-40.30-2
Draymond GreenForwardvs MEMvs bottom-5 defense278.62-165.62-95.73-101.50-3
Sam HauserForwardvs NYK258.62-163.51-61.30-32.51-5
Ronald Holland IIForwardat MIA208.52-164.31-81.20-30.60-2
Keegan MurrayForwardvs PORvs top-5 defense208.02-163.31-60.90-20.70-2
Nikola JovicForwardvs DETvs top-5 defense187.92-163.51-72.30-51.00-2
Jake LaRaviaForwardvs LAC257.92-153.71-71.80-40.90-2
Moussa DiabateForwardvs ATL267.82-158.55-131.90-40.00-1
Jamir WatkinsForwardvs TOR217.61-154.01-81.40-30.90-2
Taylor HendricksForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense197.61-153.81-71.00-31.00-2
Patrick WilliamsForwardat MIL217.21-143.11-61.50-31.40-3
Isaiah JacksonForwardat LAL176.71-145.12-90.90-20.00-1
Kyle AndersonForwardat WASvs bottom-5 defense206.41-133.61-73.11-60.10-1
Justin ChampagnieForwardvs TOR146.01-143.91-80.80-20.50-2
Kris MurrayForwardat GSWvs top-5 defense245.80-123.61-71.40-30.60-2
Leonard MillerForwardat MIL115.81-132.91-60.70-20.50-2
Jarred VanderbiltForwardvs LAC184.40-104.41-81.30-30.40-2
Caleb MartinForwardat IND164.30-112.70-61.50-30.40-1
Dwight PowellForwardat IND153.70-104.62-91.20-30.00-1

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. 92 players shown.

Check a prop line

Betting tools

Projection 31.4 (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.