Alex Sarr vs Onyeka Okongwu: who to start in Week 1
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 101.1 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Onyeka Okongwu. Over the season, Alex Sarr leads in both formats: 33.7 fantasy points a game to 31.6, and 49th against 51st in 9-cat. 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.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- 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 points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #71
- 31.6 FP/G, slot 6.11, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.3 z, slot 5.03, $17
The call
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 33.7 fantasy points per game against 31.6, 56th on our board to 71st.
9-cat leagues: Alex Sarr again, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.3 (49th to 51st).
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 3 (PTS, BLK and FG%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (REB, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Alex Sarr produces more: 45.5 fantasy points to 37.7, on 26.7 minutes a night against 30.1. 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), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 101.1 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Onyeka Okongwu.
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.7 | 31.6 |
| Minutes | 26.7 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 14.9 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.3% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 70.5% | 77.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 74 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.5 | 37.7 |
| Points | 20.1 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 2.5 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 1.2 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.9 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.4 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +0.3 |
| Total | +0.4 | +0.3 |
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 points, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Onyeka Okongwu.
| Punt | Alex Sarr | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#42) | +0.7 (#39) |
| REB | -0.4 (#67) | -0.5 (#71) |
| AST | +0.7 (#41) | +0.5 (#42) |
| STL | +0.9 (#35) | +0.4 (#50) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#145) | -0.4 (#69) |
| 3PM | +1.1 (#38) | +0.2 (#58) |
| FG% | +0.0 (#60) | +0.5 (#54) |
| FT% | +1.2 (#36) | +0.5 (#49) |
| TO | -0.0 (#61) | -0.1 (#63) |
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.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 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.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Sarr playing tonight? · Is Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Alex Sarr, Onyeka Okongwu
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Sarr or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 33.7 fantasy points per game against 31.6, 56th on our board to 71st. 9-cat leagues: Alex Sarr again, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.3 (49th to 51st).
Who wins more categories, Alex Sarr or Onyeka Okongwu?
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 3 (PTS, BLK and FG%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (REB, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Alex Sarr or Onyeka Okongwu?
Alex Sarr plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Alex Sarr: 101.1 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Onyeka Okongwu.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 10:29 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number