Cameron Johnson vs T.J. McConnell: who to start in Week 1
Cameron Johnson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Cameron Johnson: 44.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell. Over the season, T.J. McConnell leads in points leagues (22.1 fantasy points a game to 22.1) and Cameron Johnson in 9-cat leagues (127th against 164th). 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 23, 3:53 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #173
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 15.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -2.1 z, slot 11.07, $4
Day to day (Ankle)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #172
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 15.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #164
- -2.8 z, slot 14.08
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: T.J. McConnell. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 172nd on our board to 173rd.
9-cat leagues: Cameron Johnson instead, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (127th to 164th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Cameron Johnson is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and T.J. McConnell in 3 (AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, T.J. McConnell produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 27.2, on 17.2 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), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Cameron Johnson: 44.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
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 | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.1 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 29.3 | 17.2 |
| PointsPTS | 11.8 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.4% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.9% | 86.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 54 | 56 |
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 | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 27.2 | 46.3 |
| Points | 14.5 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 10.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 2.4 |
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 | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | +0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +0.9 |
| Total | -2.1 | -2.8 |
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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to T.J. McConnell.
| Punt | Cameron Johnson | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.3 (#121) | -1.6 (#144) |
| REB | -1.2 (#98) | -1.3 (#108) |
| AST | -1.5 (#119) | -3.6 (#227) |
| STL | -1.3 (#108) | -2.9 (#182) |
| BLK | -1.5 (#111) | -1.9 (#125) |
| 3PM | -2.5 (#156) | -1.6 (#118) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#125) | -3.9 (#203) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#151) | -3.0 (#174) |
| TO | -3.5 (#155) | -3.9 (#170) |
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 DTD.
- T.J. McConnell: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN), listed Out.
Recent games
- Cameron Johnson: 8.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 22.1 on the board.
- T.J. McConnell: 24.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.1 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 T.J. McConnell playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cameron Johnson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cameron Johnson or T.J. McConnell?
Points leagues: T.J. McConnell. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 172nd on our board to 173rd. 9-cat leagues: Cameron Johnson instead, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (127th to 164th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cameron Johnson or T.J. McConnell?
Category by category, Cameron Johnson is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and T.J. McConnell in 3 (AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cameron Johnson or T.J. McConnell?
Cameron Johnson plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Cameron Johnson: 44.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 3:53 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number