Bobby Portis Jr. vs Cedric Coward: who to start in Week 1
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cedric Coward 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for Bobby Portis Jr.. Over the season, Cedric Coward leads in points leagues (26.0 fantasy points a game to 24.6) and Bobby Portis Jr. in 9-cat leagues (138th against 139th). 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
- #139
- 24.6 FP/G, slot 12.07, $3
- 9-cat leagues
- #138
- -2.3 z, slot 12.06, $3
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #127
- 26.0 FP/G, slot 11.07, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #139
- -2.3 z, slot 12.07, $3
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 127th on our board to 139th.
9-cat leagues: Bobby Portis Jr. instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (138th to 139th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Bobby Portis Jr. is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Cedric Coward in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Bobby Portis Jr. produces more: 36.5 fantasy points to 36.1, on 24.2 minutes a night against 25.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cedric Coward 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for Bobby Portis Jr..
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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Cedric Coward |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.6 | 26.0 |
| Minutes | 24.2 | 25.9 |
| PointsPTS | 13.2 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.2 | 5.9 |
| AssistsAST | 1.5 | 2.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.1% | 47.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 70.6% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 67 | 62 |
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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Cedric Coward |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.5 | 36.1 |
| Points | 19.7 | 18.3 |
| Rebounds | 9.3 | 8.3 |
| Assists | 2.3 | 3.8 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 2.2 |
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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Cedric Coward |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.2 | +0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | -1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +0.3 |
| Total | -2.3 | -2.3 |
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 points, rebounds, steals, threes, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Cedric Coward.
| Punt | Bobby Portis Jr. | Cedric Coward |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.8 (#154) | -1.7 (#149) |
| REB | -2.5 (#167) | -2.4 (#161) |
| AST | -1.3 (#112) | -1.9 (#143) |
| STL | -1.3 (#108) | -1.2 (#100) |
| BLK | -1.5 (#108) | -2.0 (#132) |
| 3PM | -2.7 (#169) | -2.2 (#145) |
| FG% | -2.5 (#138) | -2.2 (#127) |
| FT% | -2.1 (#139) | -2.7 (#161) |
| TO | -3.4 (#151) | -2.8 (#132) |
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)
- Bobby Portis Jr.: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- Cedric Coward: 3 games (Wed UTA, Fri @GSW, Sun @SAC).
Recent games
- Bobby Portis Jr.: 17.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 24.6 on the board.
- Cedric Coward: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Bobby Portis Jr. playing tonight? · Is Cedric Coward playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cedric Coward
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bobby Portis Jr. or Cedric Coward?
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 127th on our board to 139th. 9-cat leagues: Bobby Portis Jr. instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (138th to 139th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Bobby Portis Jr. or Cedric Coward?
Category by category, Bobby Portis Jr. is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Cedric Coward in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bobby Portis Jr. or Cedric Coward?
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cedric Coward 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for Bobby Portis Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number