Bennedict Mathurin vs Mikal Bridges: who to start in Week 1
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Mikal Bridges: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 84.3 for Bennedict Mathurin. Over the season, Mikal Bridges leads in both formats: 28.6 fantasy points a game to 28.1, and 45th against 160th 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, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #103
- 28.1 FP/G, slot 9.07, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #160
- -2.7 z, slot 14.04
- Points leagues
- #101
- 28.6 FP/G, slot 9.05, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #45
- +0.6 z, slot 4.09, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Mikal Bridges. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 28.1, 101st on our board to 103rd.
9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (45th to 160th).
Category by category, Bennedict Mathurin is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FT%) and Mikal Bridges in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Bennedict Mathurin produces more: 34.6 fantasy points to 31.4, on 29.3 minutes a night against 32.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Mikal Bridges: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 84.3 for Bennedict Mathurin.
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 | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.1 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 29.3 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 17.2 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.0% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.7% | 82.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 82 |
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 | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.6 | 31.4 |
| Points | 21.1 | 15.1 |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 4.1 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 1.0 |
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 | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.1 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.7 | +0.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Mikal Bridges stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.8 (#206) | +1.0 (#36) |
| REB | -2.6 (#170) | +1.5 (#29) |
| AST | -2.1 (#155) | +0.5 (#42) |
| STL | -2.1 (#149) | -0.1 (#64) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#126) | +0.4 (#51) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#156) | +0.3 (#53) |
| FG% | -1.7 (#108) | +0.7 (#44) |
| FT% | -4.1 (#223) | +0.4 (#51) |
| TO | -2.5 (#122) | -0.6 (#72) |
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)
- Bennedict Mathurin: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
- Mikal Bridges: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Bennedict Mathurin: 20.6 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.1 on the board.
- Mikal Bridges: 12.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Bennedict Mathurin playing tonight? · Is Mikal Bridges playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Bennedict Mathurin
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges?
Points leagues: Mikal Bridges. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 28.1, 101st on our board to 103rd. 9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (45th to 160th).
Who wins more categories, Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges?
Category by category, Bennedict Mathurin is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FT%) and Mikal Bridges in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges?
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Mikal Bridges: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 84.3 for Bennedict Mathurin.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number