Cedric Coward vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Cedric Coward 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 78.1 for Cedric Coward. Over the season, Wendell Carter Jr. leads in both formats: 27.0 fantasy points a game to 26.0, and 83rd against 139th 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
- #127
- 26.0 FP/G, slot 11.07, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #139
- -2.3 z, slot 12.07, $3
- 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 26.0, 114th on our board to 127th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (83rd to 139th).
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cedric Coward produces more: 36.1 fantasy points to 33.0, on 25.9 minutes a night against 29.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Cedric Coward 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 78.1 for Cedric Coward.
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 | Cedric Coward | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.0 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 25.9 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.2 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 62 | 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 | Cedric Coward | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 33.0 |
| Points | 18.3 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 8.3 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 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 | Cedric Coward | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.1 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +0.8 |
| Total | -2.3 | -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
No punt changes the answer: Wendell Carter Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Cedric Coward | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#149) | -0.2 (#66) |
| REB | -2.4 (#161) | -1.7 (#122) |
| AST | -1.9 (#143) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | -1.2 (#100) | -0.2 (#68) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#132) | -0.9 (#83) |
| 3PM | -2.2 (#145) | -0.1 (#67) |
| FG% | -2.2 (#127) | -1.8 (#112) |
| FT% | -2.7 (#161) | -1.0 (#91) |
| TO | -2.8 (#132) | -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)
- Cedric Coward: 3 games (Wed UTA, Fri @GSW, Sun @SAC).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Cedric Coward: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.0 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 Cedric Coward playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cedric Coward
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cedric Coward or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr.. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 26.0, 114th on our board to 127th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (83rd to 139th).
Who wins more categories, Cedric Coward or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cedric Coward or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Cedric Coward 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 78.1 for Cedric Coward.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number