DeMar DeRozan vs Jalen Suggs: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Jalen Suggs in both formats: 31.6 fantasy points a game to 30.9 in points leagues, and 46th against 72nd in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #79
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.07, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.4 z, slot 6.12, $13
- Points leagues
- #76
- 31.6 FP/G, slot 7.04, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #46
- +0.7 z, slot 4.10, $19
Game-time decision (Illness)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Jalen Suggs. 31.6 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 76th on our board to 79th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (46th to 72nd).
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 4 (PTS, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jalen Suggs in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Suggs produces more: 41.2 fantasy points to 35.6, on 27.6 minutes a night against 31.2. 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), Jalen Suggs 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Suggs: 94.8 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | DeMar DeRozan | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.9 | 31.6 |
| Minutes | 31.2 | 27.6 |
| PointsPTS | 18.4 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 43.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.8% | 85.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 2.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 57 |
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 | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 41.2 |
| Points | 21.2 | 18.0 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 5.0 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 3.5 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +2.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | +0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | -1.0 |
| Total | -0.4 | +0.7 |
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 steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to DeMar DeRozan.
| Punt | DeMar DeRozan | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#91) | +1.1 (#35) |
| REB | +0.8 (#40) | +1.6 (#30) |
| AST | -0.7 (#81) | -0.3 (#68) |
| STL | -0.6 (#76) | -1.6 (#127) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#58) | +0.6 (#46) |
| 3PM | +0.5 (#50) | +0.1 (#61) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#83) | +1.7 (#32) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#119) | +0.3 (#56) |
| TO | -1.3 (#90) | +1.8 (#38) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Jalen Suggs: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK), listed GTD.
Recent games
- DeMar DeRozan: 29.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.9 on the board.
- Jalen Suggs: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 31.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft DeMar DeRozan or Jalen Suggs in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Jalen Suggs. 31.6 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 76th on our board to 79th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (46th to 72nd).
Who wins more categories, DeMar DeRozan or Jalen Suggs?
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 4 (PTS, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jalen Suggs in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, DeMar DeRozan or Jalen Suggs?
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Suggs 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Suggs: 94.8 projected fantasy points to 61.7 for DeMar DeRozan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number