Andre Drummond vs Derrick Jones Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 65.7 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr.. Over the season, Andre Drummond leads in points leagues (21.9 fantasy points a game to 21.8) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 9-cat leagues (126th against 194th). 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, 2:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #174
- 21.9 FP/G, slot 15.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #194
- -3.7 z, slot 17.02
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #175
- 21.8 FP/G, slot 15.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #126
- -2.0 z, slot 11.06, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Andre Drummond. 21.9 fantasy points per game against 21.8, 174th on our board to 175th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (126th to 194th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Andre Drummond is ahead in 1 (REB) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 8 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Andre Drummond produces more: 41.2 fantasy points to 28.7, on 19.1 minutes a night against 27.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 65.7 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr..
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 | Andre Drummond | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.9 | 21.8 |
| Minutes | 19.1 | 27.4 |
| PointsPTS | 6.5 | 10.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.4 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.1% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 60.9% | 73.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 63 | 50 |
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 | Andre Drummond | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.2 | 28.7 |
| Points | 12.2 | 13.6 |
| Rebounds | 15.8 | 4.8 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.0 |
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 | Andre Drummond | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.8 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.2 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.3 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.2 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.4 |
| Total | -3.7 | -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
No punt changes the answer: Derrick Jones Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Andre Drummond | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.9 (#160) | -1.0 (#109) |
| REB | -5.1 (#303) | -1.2 (#104) |
| AST | -2.5 (#172) | -1.0 (#101) |
| STL | -2.5 (#160) | -2.0 (#142) |
| BLK | -4.3 (#241) | -2.6 (#156) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#150) | -1.6 (#122) |
| FG% | -4.0 (#206) | -2.6 (#145) |
| FT% | -2.7 (#164) | -1.6 (#123) |
| TO | -5.1 (#213) | -3.5 (#157) |
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)
- Andre Drummond: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
Recent games
- Andre Drummond: 24.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.9 on the board.
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 26.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Andre Drummond playing tonight? · Is Derrick Jones Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Andre Drummond or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Points leagues: Andre Drummond. 21.9 fantasy points per game against 21.8, 174th on our board to 175th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (126th to 194th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Andre Drummond or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Category by category, Andre Drummond is ahead in 1 (REB) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 8 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Andre Drummond or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Andre Drummond plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Andre Drummond: 65.7 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number