Brook Lopez vs RJ Barrett: who to start in Week 1
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 97.3 projected fantasy points to 63.2 for Brook Lopez. Over the season, RJ Barrett leads in both formats: 32.4 fantasy points a game to 21.1, and 144th against 146th 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 25, 10:29 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #190
- 21.1 FP/G, slot 16.10
- 9-cat leagues
- #146
- -2.2 z, slot 13.02, $2
- Points leagues
- #63
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 6.03, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #144
- -2.2 z, slot 12.12, $3
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 63rd on our board to 190th.
9-cat leagues: RJ Barrett again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (144th to 146th).
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 3 (BLK, FT% and TO) and RJ Barrett in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, RJ Barrett produces more: 38.6 fantasy points to 34.5, on 30.2 minutes a night against 22.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 97.3 projected fantasy points to 63.2 for Brook Lopez.
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 | Brook Lopez | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.1 | 32.4 |
| Minutes | 22.0 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 9.8 | 19.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.4% | 50.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.9% | 71.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Brook Lopez | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.5 | 38.6 |
| Points | 16.0 | 23.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.7 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 2.1 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.9 |
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 | Brook Lopez | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.2 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +0.3 |
| Total | -2.2 | -2.2 |
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, assists, steals, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Brook Lopez.
| Punt | Brook Lopez | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#115) | -2.8 (#208) |
| REB | -1.6 (#122) | -2.4 (#158) |
| AST | -1.1 (#104) | -2.2 (#163) |
| STL | -1.2 (#106) | -1.3 (#110) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#204) | -1.8 (#120) |
| 3PM | -2.1 (#146) | -2.2 (#150) |
| FG% | -2.2 (#132) | -3.3 (#168) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#149) | -0.9 (#88) |
| TO | -3.5 (#158) | -2.5 (#125) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Brook Lopez: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
- RJ Barrett: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- Brook Lopez: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.1 on the board.
- RJ Barrett: 35.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brook Lopez playing tonight? · Is RJ Barrett playing tonight?
Rookie cards: RJ Barrett
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brook Lopez or RJ Barrett?
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 63rd on our board to 190th. 9-cat leagues: RJ Barrett again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (144th to 146th).
Who wins more categories, Brook Lopez or RJ Barrett?
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 3 (BLK, FT% and TO) and RJ Barrett in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Brook Lopez or RJ Barrett?
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start RJ Barrett: 97.3 projected fantasy points to 63.2 for Brook Lopez.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 10:29 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number