Amen Thompson vs Jalen Brunson: who to start in Week 1
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Brunson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 117.9 for Amen Thompson. Over the season, Jalen Brunson leads in points leagues (39.8 fantasy points a game to 39.3) and Amen Thompson in 9-cat leagues (29th against 52nd). 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 22, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #32
- 39.3 FP/G, slot 3.08, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #29
- +1.7 z, slot 3.05, $25
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #30
- 39.8 FP/G, slot 3.06, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #52
- +0.4 z, slot 5.04, $17
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.8 fantasy points per game against 39.3, 30th on our board to 32nd.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, +1.7 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (29th to 52nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Jalen Brunson in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Brunson produces more: 41.0 fantasy points to 38.1, on 34.9 minutes a night against 37.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Brunson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 117.9 for Amen Thompson.
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 | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 39.8 |
| Minutes | 37.1 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.1 | 25.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.9 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 6.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.2% | 45.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.8% | 85.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 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 | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.1 | 41.0 |
| Points | 17.6 | 26.5 |
| Rebounds | 7.7 | 3.5 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 6.8 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.4 |
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 | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | -0.6 |
| Total | +1.7 | +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 rebounds, steals and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Brunson.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#27) | -1.3 (#121) |
| REB | +0.5 (#45) | +1.5 (#30) |
| AST | +0.8 (#38) | -1.3 (#115) |
| STL | +0.4 (#50) | +1.1 (#31) |
| BLK | +1.8 (#28) | +1.6 (#30) |
| 3PM | +2.9 (#13) | -0.8 (#90) |
| FG% | +0.2 (#57) | +1.4 (#38) |
| FT% | +2.2 (#23) | -0.9 (#90) |
| TO | +2.3 (#31) | +1.0 (#48) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Amen Thompson: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Jalen Brunson: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 36.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 39.3 on the board.
- Jalen Brunson: 29.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 39.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson, Jalen Brunson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.8 fantasy points per game against 39.3, 30th on our board to 32nd. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, +1.7 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (29th to 52nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Jalen Brunson in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Brunson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 117.9 for Amen Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number