Alex Caruso vs Sam Hauser: who to start in Week 1
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Alex Caruso: 51.5 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser. Over the season, Sam Hauser leads in points leagues (17.5 fantasy points a game to 17.2) and Alex Caruso in 9-cat leagues (193rd against 195th). 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #240
- 17.2 FP/G, slot 20.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #193
- -3.6 z, slot 17.01
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #236
- 17.5 FP/G, slot 20.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #195
- -3.7 z, slot 17.03
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Sam Hauser. 17.5 fantasy points per game against 17.2, 236th on our board to 240th.
9-cat leagues: Alex Caruso instead, -3.6 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (193rd to 195th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Sam Hauser in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Alex Caruso produces more: 33.1 fantasy points to 25.9, on 18.7 minutes a night against 24.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Alex Caruso: 51.5 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Alex Caruso | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 17.2 | 17.5 |
| Minutes | 18.7 | 24.3 |
| PointsPTS | 6.4 | 9.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.8% | 42.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.5% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 78 |
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 | Alex Caruso | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.1 | 25.9 |
| Points | 12.4 | 13.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Assists | 4.0 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 2.4 | 0.6 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 3.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 0.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Alex Caruso | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.7 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | -1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.8 |
| Total | -3.6 | -3.7 |
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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Sam Hauser.
| Punt | Alex Caruso | Sam Hauser |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.9 (#161) | -2.4 (#194) |
| REB | -2.5 (#164) | -2.8 (#181) |
| AST | -2.9 (#194) | -2.6 (#181) |
| STL | -4.3 (#260) | -2.2 (#151) |
| BLK | -3.1 (#176) | -3.0 (#168) |
| 3PM | -3.0 (#183) | -4.6 (#260) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#178) | -2.9 (#154) |
| FT% | -3.5 (#199) | -3.7 (#210) |
| TO | -5.1 (#217) | -5.6 (#235) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Alex Caruso: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Sam Hauser: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Alex Caruso: 23.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 17.2 on the board.
- Sam Hauser: 14.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 17.5 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Caruso playing tonight? · Is Sam Hauser playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Caruso or Sam Hauser?
Points leagues: Sam Hauser. 17.5 fantasy points per game against 17.2, 236th on our board to 240th. 9-cat leagues: Alex Caruso instead, -3.6 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (193rd to 195th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Alex Caruso or Sam Hauser?
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Sam Hauser in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Alex Caruso or Sam Hauser?
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Hauser 2. For that week alone, start Alex Caruso: 51.5 projected fantasy points to 35.0 for Sam Hauser.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number