Anthony Edwards vs Jalen Johnson: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Johnson: 143.9 projected fantasy points to 136.1 for Anthony Edwards. Over the season, Jalen Johnson leads in points leagues (48.0 fantasy points a game to 45.4) and Anthony Edwards in 9-cat leagues (8th against 19th). 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, 6:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #10
- 45.4 FP/G, slot 1.10, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.4 z, slot 1.08, $39
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #8
- 48.0 FP/G, slot 1.08, $38
- 9-cat leagues
- #19
- +2.9 z, slot 2.07, $31
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson. 48.0 fantasy points per game against 45.4, 8th on our board to 10th.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Edwards instead, +4.4 in summed z-scores against +2.9 (8th to 19th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anthony Edwards is ahead in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Jalen Johnson in 2 (REB and AST).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Johnson produces more: 49.7 fantasy points to 46.8, on 34.7 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Johnson: 143.9 projected fantasy points to 136.1 for Anthony Edwards.
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 | Anthony Edwards | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.4 | 48.0 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 34.7 |
| PointsPTS | 29.8 | 22.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 10.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 7.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 3.7 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.5% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.7% | 79.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 61 | 72 |
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 | Anthony Edwards | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.8 | 49.7 |
| Points | 30.8 | 23.2 |
| Rebounds | 5.4 | 10.9 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 8.0 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 3.8 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.0 | 3.4 |
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 | Anthony Edwards | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +2.3 | +1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +2.1 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.3 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +2.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.4 | -1.8 |
| Total | +4.4 | +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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Johnson.
| Punt | Anthony Edwards | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.0 (#18) | +1.8 (#21) |
| REB | +4.7 (#10) | +0.6 (#44) |
| AST | +4.2 (#8) | +0.7 (#41) |
| STL | +3.2 (#13) | +2.5 (#20) |
| BLK | +4.3 (#9) | +3.3 (#15) |
| 3PM | +2.1 (#23) | +2.8 (#14) |
| FG% | +4.3 (#12) | +2.8 (#22) |
| FT% | +4.2 (#9) | +2.9 (#15) |
| TO | +5.9 (#7) | +4.7 (#13) |
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)
- Anthony Edwards: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
- Jalen Johnson: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Anthony Edwards: 66.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 45.4 on the board.
- Jalen Johnson: 43.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 48.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Edwards playing tonight? · Is Jalen Johnson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Johnson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Edwards or Jalen Johnson?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson. 48.0 fantasy points per game against 45.4, 8th on our board to 10th. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Edwards instead, +4.4 in summed z-scores against +2.9 (8th to 19th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Edwards or Jalen Johnson?
Category by category, Anthony Edwards is ahead in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Jalen Johnson in 2 (REB and AST).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anthony Edwards or Jalen Johnson?
Anthony Edwards plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Johnson: 143.9 projected fantasy points to 136.1 for Anthony Edwards.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 6:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number