Cason Wallace vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Cason Wallace plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Cason Wallace. Over the season, Wendell Carter Jr. leads in both formats: 27.0 fantasy points a game to 21.7, and 83rd against 105th 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 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #180
- 21.7 FP/G, slot 15.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.4 z, slot 9.09, $8
- Points leagues
- #114
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.06, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.8 z, slot 7.11, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr.. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 114th on our board to 180th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (83rd to 105th).
Category by category, Cason Wallace is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Wendell Carter Jr. produces more: 33.0 fantasy points to 29.9, on 29.4 minutes a night against 26.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cason Wallace plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Cason Wallace.
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 | Cason Wallace | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.7 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 26.1 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 8.4 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.1 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.8% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.9% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 78 |
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 | Cason Wallace | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 29.9 | 33.0 |
| Points | 11.6 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 2.6 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 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 | Cason Wallace | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.4 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +2.4 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.0 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +0.8 |
| Total | -1.4 | -0.8 |
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 points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Cason Wallace.
| Punt | Cason Wallace | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#60) | -0.2 (#66) |
| REB | -0.3 (#63) | -1.7 (#122) |
| AST | -0.9 (#93) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | -3.9 (#226) | -0.2 (#68) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#80) | -0.9 (#83) |
| 3PM | -1.0 (#95) | -0.1 (#67) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#81) | -1.8 (#112) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#110) | -1.0 (#91) |
| TO | -2.6 (#127) | -1.8 (#103) |
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)
- Cason Wallace: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Cason Wallace: 14.6 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.7 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 33.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cason Wallace playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cason Wallace or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr.. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 114th on our board to 180th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (83rd to 105th).
Who wins more categories, Cason Wallace or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Cason Wallace is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cason Wallace or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Cason Wallace plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Cason Wallace.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number