Amen Thompson vs Karl-Anthony Towns: who to start in Week 1
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 119.4 for Amen Thompson. Over the season, Karl-Anthony Towns leads in both formats: 40.1 fantasy points a game to 39.8, and 22nd against 26th 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, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #26
- 39.8 FP/G, slot 3.02, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #26
- +2.3 z, slot 3.02, $29
- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.1 FP/G, slot 2.12, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #22
- +2.6 z, slot 2.10, $30
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.1 fantasy points per game against 39.8, 24th on our board to 26th.
9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against +2.3 (22nd to 26th).
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Karl-Anthony Towns in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns produces more: 46.7 fantasy points to 38.6, on 30.9 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), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 119.4 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 | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Minutes | 37.1 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.2 | 20.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 11.8 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.6% | 51.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.1% | 83.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 75 |
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 | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.6 | 46.7 |
| Points | 17.7 | 23.4 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 13.7 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 3.4 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 3.1 |
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 | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | +2.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | +0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| Total | +2.3 | +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 points, rebounds, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Amen Thompson.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#19) | +1.9 (#20) |
| REB | +1.1 (#36) | -0.2 (#62) |
| AST | +1.4 (#28) | +2.9 (#12) |
| STL | +1.0 (#35) | +3.1 (#14) |
| BLK | +2.2 (#24) | +2.6 (#22) |
| 3PM | +3.5 (#12) | +2.6 (#19) |
| FG% | +0.7 (#47) | +1.8 (#30) |
| FT% | +2.7 (#17) | +2.0 (#23) |
| TO | +2.8 (#24) | +3.5 (#18) |
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)
- Amen Thompson: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 42.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.8 on the board.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 37.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 40.1 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 Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson, Karl-Anthony Towns
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.1 fantasy points per game against 39.8, 24th on our board to 26th. 9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns again, +2.6 in summed z-scores against +2.3 (22nd to 26th).
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Karl-Anthony Towns in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Amen Thompson or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 120.3 projected fantasy points to 119.4 for Amen Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number