Alex Sarr vs Donovan Clingan: who to start in Week 1
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 102.9 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan. Over the season, Alex Sarr leads in points leagues (34.3 fantasy points a game to 33.9) and Donovan Clingan in 9-cat leagues (31st against 48th). 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, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #53
- 34.3 FP/G, slot 5.05, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #48
- +0.5 z, slot 4.12, $18
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #55
- 33.9 FP/G, slot 5.07, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #31
- +1.5 z, slot 3.07, $24
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 34.3 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 53rd on our board to 55th.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan instead, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +0.5 (31st to 48th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and FT%) and Donovan Clingan in 4 (REB, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Donovan Clingan produces more: 46.2 fantasy points to 45.9, on 26.4 minutes a night against 26.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 102.9 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan.
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 Sarr | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.3 | 33.9 |
| Minutes | 26.9 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 15.2 | 11.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.3 | 11.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 51.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 70.5% | 68.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 77 |
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 Sarr | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.9 | 46.2 |
| Points | 20.3 | 16.1 |
| Rebounds | 9.8 | 15.3 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.6 |
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 Sarr | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +2.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.2 | +2.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.9 |
| Total | +0.5 | +1.5 |
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 rebounds flips the 9-cat answer to Alex Sarr.
| Punt | Alex Sarr | Donovan Clingan |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#41) | +2.3 (#15) |
| REB | -0.5 (#74) | -1.2 (#106) |
| AST | +0.8 (#40) | +2.2 (#22) |
| STL | +0.9 (#37) | +2.9 (#15) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#131) | -0.9 (#87) |
| 3PM | +1.1 (#38) | +2.1 (#24) |
| FG% | +0.2 (#56) | +0.6 (#50) |
| FT% | +1.3 (#35) | +2.5 (#20) |
| TO | +0.0 (#60) | +0.5 (#52) |
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 Sarr: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Donovan Clingan: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
Recent games
- Alex Sarr: 22.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 34.3 on the board.
- Donovan Clingan: 27.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 33.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Sarr playing tonight? · Is Donovan Clingan playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Alex Sarr, Donovan Clingan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Sarr or Donovan Clingan?
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 34.3 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 53rd on our board to 55th. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan instead, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +0.5 (31st to 48th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Alex Sarr or Donovan Clingan?
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and FT%) and Donovan Clingan in 4 (REB, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Alex Sarr or Donovan Clingan?
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Clingan 2. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 102.9 projected fantasy points to 67.8 for Donovan Clingan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number