Al Horford vs Jalen Smith: who to start in Week 2
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jalen Smith 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 83.6 projected fantasy points to 69.7 for Jalen Smith. Over the season, Jalen Smith leads in points leagues (23.2 fantasy points a game to 20.9) and Al Horford in 9-cat leagues (145th against 147th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #187
- 20.9 FP/G, slot 16.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #145
- -2.3 z, slot 13.01, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #153
- 23.2 FP/G, slot 13.09, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #147
- -2.4 z, slot 13.03, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Smith. 23.2 fantasy points per game against 20.9, 153rd on our board to 187th.
9-cat leagues: Al Horford instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (145th to 147th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Al Horford is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jalen Smith in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Smith produces more: 39.9 fantasy points to 35.8, on 20.9 minutes a night against 21.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jalen Smith 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 83.6 projected fantasy points to 69.7 for Jalen Smith.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Al Horford | Jalen Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.9 | 23.2 |
| Minutes | 21.0 | 20.9 |
| PointsPTS | 7.7 | 10.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.9% | 47.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 77.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 53 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Al Horford | Jalen Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.8 | 39.9 |
| Points | 13.1 | 18.4 |
| Rebounds | 8.1 | 11.8 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Al Horford | Jalen Smith |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.5 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | +0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.3 | -2.4 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting assists, steals, blocks, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Smith.
| Punt | Al Horford | Jalen Smith |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#91) | -1.4 (#133) |
| REB | -2.0 (#137) | -3.1 (#191) |
| AST | -1.6 (#132) | -1.1 (#106) |
| STL | -1.3 (#114) | -1.0 (#98) |
| BLK | -3.3 (#184) | -2.6 (#158) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#149) | -2.2 (#148) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#114) | -2.5 (#141) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#156) | -2.3 (#152) |
| TO | -3.7 (#165) | -3.5 (#154) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Al Horford: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC).
- Jalen Smith: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- Al Horford: 13.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.9 on the board.
- Jalen Smith: 24.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 23.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Al Horford playing tonight? · Is Jalen Smith playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Al Horford or Jalen Smith?
Points leagues: Jalen Smith. 23.2 fantasy points per game against 20.9, 153rd on our board to 187th. 9-cat leagues: Al Horford instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (145th to 147th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Al Horford or Jalen Smith?
Category by category, Al Horford is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jalen Smith in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Al Horford or Jalen Smith?
Al Horford plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jalen Smith 3. For that week alone, start Al Horford: 83.6 projected fantasy points to 69.7 for Jalen Smith.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number