Cameron Johnson vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 1
Cameron Johnson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Cameron Johnson. Over the season, Cameron Johnson leads in both formats: 22.1 fantasy points a game to 20.2, and 128th against 129th 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 24, 4:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #168
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 14.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #128
- -2.0 z, slot 11.08, $4
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #204
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #129
- -2.0 z, slot 11.09, $4
The call
Points leagues: Cameron Johnson. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 168th on our board to 204th.
9-cat leagues: Cameron Johnson again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (128th to 129th).
Category by category, Cameron Johnson is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Kalkbrenner produces more: 34.8 fantasy points to 27.2, on 20.9 minutes a night against 29.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Cameron Johnson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Cameron Johnson.
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 | Cameron Johnson | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.1 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 29.3 | 20.9 |
| PointsPTS | 11.8 | 7.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 0.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.4% | 74.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.9% | 71.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 69 |
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 | Cameron Johnson | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 27.2 | 34.8 |
| Points | 14.5 | 12.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 9.5 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 2.6 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 1.6 |
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 | Cameron Johnson | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +1.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.0 | -2.0 |
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, assists, steals, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ryan Kalkbrenner.
| Punt | Cameron Johnson | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.3 (#121) | -0.4 (#79) |
| REB | -1.1 (#103) | -2.1 (#137) |
| AST | -1.4 (#122) | -0.7 (#85) |
| STL | -1.2 (#107) | -0.4 (#74) |
| BLK | -1.5 (#107) | -4.1 (#230) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#162) | -0.3 (#68) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#123) | -4.3 (#221) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#149) | -1.6 (#118) |
| TO | -3.4 (#155) | -3.4 (#154) |
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)
- Cameron Johnson: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP), listed Out.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Cameron Johnson: 8.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 22.1 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 20.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cameron Johnson playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cameron Johnson, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cameron Johnson or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Cameron Johnson. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 168th on our board to 204th. 9-cat leagues: Cameron Johnson again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (128th to 129th).
Who wins more categories, Cameron Johnson or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Cameron Johnson is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cameron Johnson or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Cameron Johnson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Cameron Johnson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 4:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number