Brandon Ingram vs Payton Pritchard: who to start in Week 1
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram. Over the season, Brandon Ingram leads in points leagues (35.7 fantasy points a game to 30.3) and Payton Pritchard in 9-cat leagues (71st against 72nd). 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, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #44
- 35.7 FP/G, slot 4.08, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.4 z, slot 6.12, $13
Out (Heel)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #84
- 30.3 FP/G, slot 7.12, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.4 z, slot 6.11, $13
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brandon Ingram. 35.7 fantasy points per game against 30.3, 44th on our board to 84th.
9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.4 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (71st to 72nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Payton Pritchard in 4 (AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Brandon Ingram produces more: 38.0 fantasy points to 33.9, on 33.8 minutes a night against 32.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
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 | Brandon Ingram | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.7 | 30.3 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 32.1 |
| PointsPTS | 21.5 | 17.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 4.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.0% | 88.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 79 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.0 | 33.9 |
| Points | 22.9 | 19.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 4.4 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 1.5 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -0.8 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | +0.7 |
| Total | -0.4 | -0.4 |
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 assists, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Brandon Ingram.
| Punt | Brandon Ingram | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#122) | -0.6 (#83) |
| REB | -0.4 (#67) | +0.5 (#46) |
| AST | -0.6 (#77) | -1.2 (#105) |
| STL | +0.2 (#56) | +0.4 (#48) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#75) | +0.8 (#41) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#85) | -1.6 (#118) |
| FG% | -0.3 (#67) | +0.2 (#56) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#89) | -1.1 (#98) |
| TO | +0.2 (#57) | -1.2 (#89) |
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)
- Brandon Ingram: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC), listed Out.
- Payton Pritchard: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Brandon Ingram: 33.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 35.7 on the board.
- Payton Pritchard: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 30.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandon Ingram playing tonight? · Is Payton Pritchard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Payton Pritchard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandon Ingram or Payton Pritchard?
Points leagues: Brandon Ingram. 35.7 fantasy points per game against 30.3, 44th on our board to 84th. 9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.4 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (71st to 72nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandon Ingram or Payton Pritchard?
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Payton Pritchard in 4 (AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brandon Ingram or Payton Pritchard?
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number