Andrew Wiggins vs Kel'el Ware: who to start in Week 1
Andrew Wiggins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Wiggins: 87.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware. Over the season, Andrew Wiggins leads in points leagues (29.0 fantasy points a game to 26.9) and Kel'el Ware in 9-cat leagues (61st against 63rd). 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, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #94
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.10, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #63
- -0.3 z, slot 6.03, $14
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #115
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.07, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.2 z, slot 6.01, $14
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Andrew Wiggins. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 94th on our board to 115th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (61st to 63rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Andrew Wiggins is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Kel'el Ware in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.7 fantasy points to 34.6, on 21.6 minutes a night against 30.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Andrew Wiggins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Wiggins: 87.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware.
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 | Andrew Wiggins | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 26.9 |
| Minutes | 30.1 | 21.6 |
| PointsPTS | 15.1 | 10.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 8.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 0.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.4% | 52.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.4% | 68.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 68 | 77 |
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 | Andrew Wiggins | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.6 | 44.7 |
| Points | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Rebounds | 5.6 | 14.4 |
| Assists | 3.1 | 1.2 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.4 |
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 | Andrew Wiggins | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | +1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | +0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +1.3 |
| Total | -0.3 | -0.2 |
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, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Andrew Wiggins.
| Punt | Andrew Wiggins | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#62) | +0.7 (#42) |
| REB | +0.2 (#53) | -1.7 (#121) |
| AST | +0.2 (#47) | +1.2 (#32) |
| STL | -0.5 (#74) | +0.4 (#52) |
| BLK | -0.9 (#85) | -1.2 (#95) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#84) | +0.3 (#54) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#63) | -1.1 (#91) |
| FT% | -0.3 (#71) | +0.3 (#53) |
| TO | -0.7 (#75) | -1.7 (#99) |
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)
- Andrew Wiggins: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Andrew Wiggins: 12.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Kel'el Ware: 14.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Andrew Wiggins playing tonight? · Is Kel'el Ware playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Andrew Wiggins, Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Andrew Wiggins or Kel'el Ware?
Points leagues: Andrew Wiggins. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 94th on our board to 115th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (61st to 63rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Andrew Wiggins or Kel'el Ware?
Category by category, Andrew Wiggins is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Kel'el Ware in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Andrew Wiggins or Kel'el Ware?
Andrew Wiggins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Andrew Wiggins: 87.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Kel'el Ware.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number