Anfernee Simons vs Derrick Jones Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 64.3 for Derrick Jones Jr.. Over the season, Derrick Jones Jr. leads in both formats: 21.4 fantasy points a game to 21.2, and 135th against 203rd 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 22, 3:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #191
- 21.2 FP/G, slot 16.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #203
- -3.8 z, slot 17.11
- Points leagues
- #185
- 21.4 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #135
- -2.2 z, slot 12.03, $3
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 185th on our board to 191st.
9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (135th to 203rd).
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Anfernee Simons produces more: 30.5 fantasy points to 28.6, on 24.9 minutes a night against 26.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 64.3 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 | Anfernee Simons | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.2 | 21.4 |
| Minutes | 24.9 | 26.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 9.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.4 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.3% | 50.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.6% | 74.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 55 | 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 | Anfernee Simons | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 30.5 | 28.6 |
| Points | 20.5 | 13.3 |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 4.8 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 1.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.1 |
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 | Anfernee Simons | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.5 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.6 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +1.3 |
| Total | -3.8 | -2.2 |
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 blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Anfernee Simons.
| Punt | Anfernee Simons | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#246) | -1.1 (#114) |
| REB | -2.2 (#144) | -1.4 (#113) |
| AST | -3.2 (#209) | -1.2 (#108) |
| STL | -2.3 (#156) | -2.0 (#143) |
| BLK | -2.7 (#162) | -2.9 (#169) |
| 3PM | -4.9 (#276) | -1.7 (#123) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#156) | -2.7 (#149) |
| FT% | -4.3 (#233) | -1.9 (#133) |
| TO | -4.8 (#205) | -3.7 (#164) |
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)
- Anfernee Simons: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back.
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
Recent games
- Anfernee Simons: 15.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.2 on the board.
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 24.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anfernee Simons playing tonight? · Is Derrick Jones Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anfernee Simons or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 185th on our board to 191st. 9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (135th to 203rd).
Who wins more categories, Anfernee Simons or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anfernee Simons or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 64.3 for Derrick Jones Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number