DeMar DeRozan vs Jakob Poeltl: who to start in Week 1
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Jakob Poeltl: 75.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 for DeMar DeRozan. Over the season, DeMar DeRozan leads in points leagues (29.0 fantasy points a game to 25.0) and Jakob Poeltl in 9-cat leagues (112th against 113th). 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #113
- -1.6 z, slot 10.05, $6
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #132
- 25.0 FP/G, slot 11.12, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #112
- -1.6 z, slot 10.04, $6
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 25.0, 95th on our board to 132nd.
9-cat leagues: Jakob Poeltl instead, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (112th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jakob Poeltl in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jakob Poeltl produces more: 36.2 fantasy points to 34.1, on 24.9 minutes a night against 30.6. 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), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Jakob Poeltl: 75.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 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 | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 25.0 |
| Minutes | 30.6 | 24.9 |
| PointsPTS | 17.7 | 10.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.4% | 70.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.0% | 60.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 46 |
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 | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.1 | 36.2 |
| Points | 20.8 | 14.4 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 10.2 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +2.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.9 | -1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | +0.9 |
| Total | -1.6 | -1.6 |
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, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to DeMar DeRozan.
| Punt | DeMar DeRozan | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.9 (#157) | -0.5 (#82) |
| REB | -0.4 (#69) | -2.5 (#164) |
| AST | -1.8 (#137) | -0.8 (#86) |
| STL | -1.4 (#118) | -1.3 (#109) |
| BLK | -0.9 (#87) | -2.0 (#132) |
| 3PM | -0.6 (#81) | +0.1 (#60) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#124) | -4.6 (#233) |
| FT% | -2.6 (#163) | -0.2 (#67) |
| TO | -2.2 (#115) | -2.6 (#129) |
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)
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Jakob Poeltl: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- DeMar DeRozan: 14.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Jakob Poeltl: 20.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 25.0 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 Jakob Poeltl playing tonight?
Rookie cards: DeMar DeRozan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, DeMar DeRozan or Jakob Poeltl?
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 25.0, 95th on our board to 132nd. 9-cat leagues: Jakob Poeltl instead, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (112th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, DeMar DeRozan or Jakob Poeltl?
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jakob Poeltl in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, DeMar DeRozan or Jakob Poeltl?
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jakob Poeltl 3. For that week alone, start Jakob Poeltl: 75.1 projected fantasy points to 58.0 for DeMar DeRozan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number