DeMar DeRozan vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 1
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 93.4 projected fantasy points to 61.7 for DeMar DeRozan. Over the season, Jabari Smith Jr. leads in both formats: 31.1 fantasy points a game to 30.9, and 55th against 66th 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
- #76
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.04, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #66
- -0.3 z, slot 6.06, $14
- Points leagues
- #73
- 31.1 FP/G, slot 7.01, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #55
- +0.1 z, slot 5.07, $16
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jabari Smith Jr.. 31.1 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 73rd on our board to 76th.
9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. again, +0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (55th to 66th).
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 3 (REB, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, DeMar DeRozan produces more: 35.6 fantasy points to 31.9, on 31.2 minutes a night against 35.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 93.4 projected fantasy points to 61.7 for DeMar DeRozan.
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.9 | 31.1 |
| Minutes | 31.2 | 35.2 |
| PointsPTS | 18.4 | 16.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 6.8 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 2.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 46.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.8% | 77.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 77 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 31.9 |
| Points | 21.2 | 17.1 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 6.9 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.0 | +0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | +0.7 |
| Total | -0.3 | +0.1 |
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 rebounds, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to DeMar DeRozan.
| Punt | DeMar DeRozan | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.6 (#88) | +0.0 (#56) |
| REB | +0.9 (#38) | -0.4 (#65) |
| AST | -0.6 (#79) | +1.0 (#36) |
| STL | -0.5 (#75) | +0.7 (#42) |
| BLK | +0.4 (#49) | -0.4 (#70) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#47) | -0.7 (#86) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#76) | +0.5 (#49) |
| FT% | -1.6 (#118) | +0.2 (#56) |
| TO | -1.1 (#84) | -0.6 (#70) |
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)
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
DeMar DeRozan or Jabari Smith Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- DeMar DeRozan: 29.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.9 on the board.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 42.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 31.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is DeMar DeRozan playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: DeMar DeRozan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, DeMar DeRozan or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Jabari Smith Jr.. 31.1 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 73rd on our board to 76th. 9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. again, +0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (55th to 66th).
Who wins more categories, DeMar DeRozan or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 3 (REB, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, DeMar DeRozan or Jabari Smith Jr.?
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 93.4 projected fantasy points to 61.7 for DeMar DeRozan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number