Anfernee Simons vs Herbert Jones: who to start in Week 1
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Herbert Jones 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 63.5 for Herbert Jones. Over the season, Anfernee Simons leads in points leagues (21.2 fantasy points a game to 21.2) and Herbert Jones in 9-cat leagues (167th against 203rd). 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, 1:54 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
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #192
- 21.2 FP/G, slot 16.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #167
- -2.9 z, slot 14.11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anfernee Simons. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 191st on our board to 192nd.
9-cat leagues: Herbert Jones instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (167th to 203rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Herbert Jones in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, Anfernee Simons produces more: 30.5 fantasy points to 27.5, on 24.9 minutes a night against 27.6. 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), Herbert Jones 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 63.5 for Herbert Jones.
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 | Herbert Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.2 | 21.2 |
| Minutes | 24.9 | 27.6 |
| PointsPTS | 14.2 | 8.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.4 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.3% | 38.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.6% | 80.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 55 | 56 |
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 | Herbert Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 30.5 | 27.5 |
| Points | 20.5 | 11.2 |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 2.0 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 | Herbert Jones |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.5 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.6 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -1.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.7 |
| Total | -3.8 | -2.9 |
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 steals flips the 9-cat answer to Anfernee Simons.
| Punt | Anfernee Simons | Herbert Jones |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#246) | -1.6 (#134) |
| REB | -2.2 (#144) | -1.9 (#129) |
| AST | -3.2 (#209) | -2.4 (#172) |
| STL | -2.3 (#156) | -4.4 (#269) |
| BLK | -2.7 (#162) | -2.6 (#154) |
| 3PM | -4.9 (#276) | -2.7 (#170) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#156) | -1.7 (#107) |
| FT% | -4.3 (#233) | -2.9 (#171) |
| TO | -4.8 (#205) | -3.7 (#165) |
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.
- Herbert Jones: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Anfernee Simons: 15.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.2 on the board.
- Herbert Jones: 9.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.2 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 Herbert Jones playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anfernee Simons or Herbert Jones?
Points leagues: Anfernee Simons. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 191st on our board to 192nd. 9-cat leagues: Herbert Jones instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (167th to 203rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anfernee Simons or Herbert Jones?
Category by category, Anfernee Simons is ahead in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Herbert Jones in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anfernee Simons or Herbert Jones?
Anfernee Simons plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Herbert Jones 3. For that week alone, start Anfernee Simons: 84.6 projected fantasy points to 63.5 for Herbert Jones.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number