Bennedict Mathurin vs RJ Barrett: who to start in Week 1
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 95.4 projected fantasy points to 84.3 for Bennedict Mathurin. Over the season, RJ Barrett leads in points leagues (31.8 fantasy points a game to 28.1) and Bennedict Mathurin in 9-cat leagues (160th against 161st). 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, 8:57 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
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #70
- 31.8 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #161
- -2.7 z, slot 14.05
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 31.8 fantasy points per game against 28.1, 70th on our board to 103rd.
9-cat leagues: Bennedict Mathurin instead, -2.7 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (160th to 161st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Bennedict Mathurin is ahead in 2 (STL and FT%) and RJ Barrett in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, RJ Barrett produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 34.6, on 30.0 minutes a night against 29.3. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 95.4 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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.1 | 31.8 |
| Minutes | 29.3 | 30.0 |
| PointsPTS | 17.2 | 19.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.0% | 49.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.7% | 70.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 57 |
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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.6 | 38.1 |
| Points | 21.1 | 23.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 2.0 |
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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.1 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.3 | -1.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| Total | -2.7 | -2.7 |
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 and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to RJ Barrett.
| Punt | Bennedict Mathurin | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.8 (#206) | -3.3 (#234) |
| REB | -2.6 (#170) | -2.8 (#182) |
| AST | -2.1 (#155) | -2.7 (#183) |
| STL | -2.1 (#149) | -1.9 (#139) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#126) | -2.2 (#142) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#156) | -2.7 (#172) |
| FG% | -1.7 (#108) | -3.6 (#187) |
| FT% | -4.1 (#223) | -1.4 (#111) |
| TO | -2.5 (#122) | -3.0 (#139) |
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.
- RJ Barrett: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- Bennedict Mathurin: 20.6 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.1 on the board.
- RJ Barrett: 28.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 31.8 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 RJ Barrett playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Bennedict Mathurin, RJ Barrett
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bennedict Mathurin or RJ Barrett?
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 31.8 fantasy points per game against 28.1, 70th on our board to 103rd. 9-cat leagues: Bennedict Mathurin instead, -2.7 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (160th to 161st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Bennedict Mathurin or RJ Barrett?
Category by category, Bennedict Mathurin is ahead in 2 (STL and FT%) and RJ Barrett in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bennedict Mathurin or RJ Barrett?
Bennedict Mathurin plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 95.4 projected fantasy points to 84.3 for Bennedict Mathurin.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number