Alperen Şengün vs Joel Embiid: who to start in Week 1
Alperen Şengün plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Joel Embiid 4. For that week alone, start Joel Embiid: 175.5 projected fantasy points to 131.4 for Alperen Şengün. Over the season, Joel Embiid leads in both formats: 43.9 fantasy points a game to 43.8, and 23rd against 33rd 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #15
- 43.8 FP/G, slot 2.03, $32
- 9-cat leagues
- #33
- +1.2 z, slot 3.09, $22
- Points leagues
- #13
- 43.9 FP/G, slot 2.01, $32
- 9-cat leagues
- #23
- +2.6 z, slot 2.11, $30
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Joel Embiid. 43.9 fantasy points per game against 43.8, 13th on our board to 15th.
9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against +1.2 (23rd to 33rd).
Category by category, Alperen Şengün is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Joel Embiid in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Joel Embiid produces more: 49.5 fantasy points to 47.4, on 31.9 minutes a night against 33.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alperen Şengün plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Joel Embiid 4. For that week alone, start Joel Embiid: 175.5 projected fantasy points to 131.4 for Alperen Şengün.
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 | Alperen Şengün | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.8 | 43.9 |
| Minutes | 33.3 | 31.9 |
| PointsPTS | 21.0 | 25.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 7.9 |
| AssistsAST | 6.2 | 3.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.2% | 47.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 71.0% | 84.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 38 |
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 | Alperen Şengün | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 47.4 | 49.5 |
| Points | 22.8 | 29.2 |
| Rebounds | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| Assists | 6.7 | 4.4 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 3.2 |
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 | Alperen Şengün | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | +1.0 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | +0.2 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.7 | +1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.4 | +1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.6 | -1.2 |
| Total | +1.2 | +2.6 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Alperen Şengün.
| Punt | Alperen Şengün | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.3 (#50) | +0.9 (#35) |
| REB | -0.6 (#79) | +1.5 (#30) |
| AST | -0.3 (#62) | +2.3 (#21) |
| STL | +1.1 (#33) | +3.6 (#11) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#54) | +1.3 (#33) |
| 3PM | +2.0 (#25) | +2.7 (#17) |
| FG% | -0.6 (#78) | +2.7 (#23) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#19) | +1.1 (#36) |
| TO | +2.8 (#26) | +3.7 (#17) |
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)
- Alperen Şengün: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Joel Embiid: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Alperen Şengün: 43.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 43.8 on the board.
- Joel Embiid: 39.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 43.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alperen Şengün playing tonight? · Is Joel Embiid playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Joel Embiid
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alperen Şengün or Joel Embiid?
Points leagues: Joel Embiid. 43.9 fantasy points per game against 43.8, 13th on our board to 15th. 9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against +1.2 (23rd to 33rd).
Who wins more categories, Alperen Şengün or Joel Embiid?
Category by category, Alperen Şengün is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Joel Embiid in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Alperen Şengün or Joel Embiid?
Alperen Şengün plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Joel Embiid 4. For that week alone, start Joel Embiid: 175.5 projected fantasy points to 131.4 for Alperen Şengün.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number