Alex Sarr vs Giannis Antetokounmpo: who to start in Week 1
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Giannis Antetokounmpo 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 145.0 projected fantasy points to 101.1 for Alex Sarr. Over the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads in points leagues (48.3 fantasy points a game to 33.7) and Alex Sarr in 9-cat leagues (49th against 50th). 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 25, 10:29 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #56
- 33.7 FP/G, slot 5.08, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #49
- +0.4 z, slot 5.01, $18
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #6
- 48.3 FP/G, slot 1.06, $39
- 9-cat leagues
- #50
- +0.4 z, slot 5.02, $18
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 48.3 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 6th on our board to 56th.
9-cat leagues: Alex Sarr instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (49th to 50th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Giannis Antetokounmpo in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Giannis Antetokounmpo produces more: 60.1 fantasy points to 45.5, on 28.9 minutes a night against 26.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Giannis Antetokounmpo 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 145.0 projected fantasy points to 101.1 for Alex Sarr.
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 | Alex Sarr | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.7 | 48.3 |
| Minutes | 26.7 | 28.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.9 | 27.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.0 | 9.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 5.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.8 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.3% | 61.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 70.5% | 65.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 36 |
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 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.5 | 60.1 |
| Points | 20.1 | 34.5 |
| Rebounds | 9.4 | 11.8 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 6.3 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 2.5 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 3.9 |
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 | Alex Sarr | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | +2.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | +1.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | +0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.4 | -0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -1.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | +3.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -4.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -1.6 |
| Total | +0.4 | +0.4 |
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 blocks, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
| Punt | Alex Sarr | Giannis Antetokounmpo |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#42) | -1.8 (#152) |
| REB | -0.4 (#67) | -2.0 (#134) |
| AST | +0.7 (#41) | -0.6 (#77) |
| STL | +0.9 (#35) | +0.4 (#51) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#145) | +0.2 (#53) |
| 3PM | +1.1 (#38) | +1.6 (#29) |
| FG% | +0.0 (#60) | -5.3 (#262) |
| FT% | +1.2 (#36) | +4.9 (#7) |
| TO | -0.0 (#61) | +2.1 (#36) |
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.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Alex Sarr: 22.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 33.7 on the board.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 44.4 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 48.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Sarr playing tonight? · Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Alex Sarr, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Sarr or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Points leagues: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 48.3 fantasy points per game against 33.7, 6th on our board to 56th. 9-cat leagues: Alex Sarr instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (49th to 50th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Alex Sarr or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Giannis Antetokounmpo in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Alex Sarr or Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Giannis Antetokounmpo 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 145.0 projected fantasy points to 101.1 for Alex Sarr.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 10:29 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number