CJ McCollum vs Ja Morant: who to start in Week 1
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 90.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Ja Morant. Over the season, Ja Morant leads in both formats: 36.0 fantasy points a game to 30.1, and 109th against 111th 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, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #85
- 30.1 FP/G, slot 8.01, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #111
- -1.5 z, slot 10.03, $7
- Points leagues
- #43
- 36.0 FP/G, slot 4.07, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #109
- -1.5 z, slot 10.01, $7
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 30.1, 43rd on our board to 85th.
9-cat leagues: Ja Morant again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (109th to 111th).
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ja Morant in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Ja Morant produces more: 46.2 fantasy points to 36.8, on 28.1 minutes a night against 29.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 90.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Ja Morant.
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 | CJ McCollum | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.1 | 36.0 |
| Minutes | 29.5 | 28.1 |
| PointsPTS | 18.8 | 19.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.2 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 8.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.7% | 42.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.7% | 89.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 3.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 76 | 20 |
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 | CJ McCollum | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.8 | 46.2 |
| Points | 22.9 | 24.5 |
| Rebounds | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 10.3 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 3.2 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 4.3 |
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 | CJ McCollum | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +2.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +1.0 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.0 | -2.0 |
| Total | -1.5 | -1.5 |
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 assists, steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to CJ McCollum.
| Punt | CJ McCollum | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.0 (#164) | -2.0 (#161) |
| REB | -0.4 (#69) | -0.4 (#66) |
| AST | -1.8 (#134) | -3.8 (#237) |
| STL | -1.0 (#93) | -1.8 (#135) |
| BLK | -1.1 (#90) | -0.7 (#76) |
| 3PM | -2.6 (#168) | -1.1 (#97) |
| FG% | -1.1 (#93) | +0.2 (#59) |
| FT% | -1.5 (#116) | -3.3 (#183) |
| TO | -1.6 (#98) | +0.5 (#56) |
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)
- CJ McCollum: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
- Ja Morant: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
Recent games
- CJ McCollum: 22.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 30.1 on the board.
- Ja Morant: 40.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 36.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is CJ McCollum playing tonight? · Is Ja Morant playing tonight?
Rookie cards: CJ McCollum, Ja Morant
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, CJ McCollum or Ja Morant?
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 30.1, 43rd on our board to 85th. 9-cat leagues: Ja Morant again, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (109th to 111th).
Who wins more categories, CJ McCollum or Ja Morant?
Category by category, CJ McCollum is ahead in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ja Morant in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, CJ McCollum or Ja Morant?
CJ McCollum plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start CJ McCollum: 90.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Ja Morant.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number