Amen Thompson vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Amen Thompson in points leagues (39.5 fantasy points a game to 33.9) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 9-cat leagues (26th against 28th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #34
- 39.5 FP/G, slot 3.10, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #28
- +1.8 z, slot 3.04, $25
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #55
- 33.9 FP/G, slot 5.07, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #26
- +2.0 z, slot 3.02, $26
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Amen Thompson. 39.5 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 34th on our board to 55th.
9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.0 in summed z-scores against +1.8 (26th to 28th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Amen Thompson produces more: 38.0 fantasy points to 36.6, on 37.4 minutes a night against 33.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. For that week alone, start Amen Thompson: 118.5 projected fantasy points to 101.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Amen Thompson | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.5 | 33.9 |
| Minutes | 37.4 | 33.4 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 20.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.8 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.3 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 3.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.4% | 45.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.9% | 90.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 78 |
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 | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.0 | 36.6 |
| Points | 17.6 | 22.5 |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.3 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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 | Amen Thompson | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.9 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +1.4 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | +1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +1.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| Total | +1.8 | +2.0 |
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, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Amen Thompson.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.5 (#26) | +1.2 (#33) |
| REB | +0.7 (#44) | +3.2 (#15) |
| AST | +0.9 (#39) | +1.9 (#24) |
| STL | +0.4 (#48) | +1.2 (#33) |
| BLK | +1.8 (#28) | +2.4 (#22) |
| 3PM | +3.1 (#13) | +0.2 (#55) |
| FG% | +0.2 (#59) | +3.1 (#18) |
| FT% | +2.1 (#24) | +0.6 (#47) |
| TO | +2.5 (#28) | +2.3 (#31) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Amen Thompson: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 43.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 39.5 on the board.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 38.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Amen Thompson or Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Amen Thompson. 39.5 fantasy points per game against 33.9, 34th on our board to 55th. 9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.0 in summed z-scores against +1.8 (26th to 28th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Amen Thompson or Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. For that week alone, start Amen Thompson: 118.5 projected fantasy points to 101.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number