Austin Reaves vs Jimmy Butler III: who to start in Week 1
Austin Reaves plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jimmy Butler III 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 116.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Austin Reaves leads in points leagues (38.9 fantasy points a game to 37.4) and Jimmy Butler III in 9-cat leagues (18th against 21st). 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, 2:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #35
- 38.9 FP/G, slot 3.11, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #21
- +2.6 z, slot 2.09, $30
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #40
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.04, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #18
- +3.1 z, slot 2.06, $32
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Austin Reaves. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 35th on our board to 40th.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (18th to 21st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Jimmy Butler III in 4 (REB, STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jimmy Butler III produces more: 43.2 fantasy points to 40.7, on 31.1 minutes a night against 34.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Austin Reaves plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jimmy Butler III 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 116.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Austin Reaves | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.9 | 37.4 |
| Minutes | 34.4 | 31.1 |
| PointsPTS | 23.3 | 20.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.2 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 51.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.1% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.0 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 51 | 38 |
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 | Austin Reaves | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.7 | 43.2 |
| Points | 24.3 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 4.9 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 5.6 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 1.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Austin Reaves | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.2 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +1.0 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.9 | +1.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.5 | +0.4 |
| Total | +2.6 | +3.1 |
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, steals, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Austin Reaves.
| Punt | Austin Reaves | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#26) | +2.4 (#11) |
| REB | +3.3 (#15) | +3.1 (#18) |
| AST | +1.5 (#27) | +2.4 (#18) |
| STL | +2.2 (#22) | +1.8 (#25) |
| BLK | +3.2 (#17) | +4.0 (#12) |
| 3PM | +1.8 (#25) | +3.7 (#11) |
| FG% | +2.7 (#23) | +2.3 (#26) |
| FT% | +0.5 (#48) | +1.5 (#32) |
| TO | +4.1 (#16) | +2.7 (#26) |
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)
- Austin Reaves: 3 games (Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA).
- Jimmy Butler III: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Austin Reaves: 41.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 38.9 on the board.
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Austin Reaves playing tonight? · Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Austin Reaves or Jimmy Butler III?
Points leagues: Austin Reaves. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 35th on our board to 40th. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (18th to 21st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Austin Reaves or Jimmy Butler III?
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Jimmy Butler III in 4 (REB, STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Austin Reaves or Jimmy Butler III?
Austin Reaves plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jimmy Butler III 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 116.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 2:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number