Derik Queen vs Jaden McDaniels: who to start in Week 1
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels. Over the season, Derik Queen leads in points leagues (29.2 fantasy points a game to 29.0) and Jaden McDaniels in 9-cat leagues (46th 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #93
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 8.09, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #113
- -1.6 z, slot 10.05, $7
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #46
- +0.6 z, slot 4.10, $19
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Derik Queen. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 93rd on our board to 95th.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (46th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 2 (REB and AST) and Jaden McDaniels in 7 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Derik Queen produces more: 42.8 fantasy points to 33.1, on 24.5 minutes a night against 31.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels.
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 | Derik Queen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.2 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 24.5 | 31.6 |
| PointsPTS | 11.6 | 15.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.2 | 4.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.4% | 52.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.7% | 83.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 73 |
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 | Derik Queen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.8 | 33.1 |
| Points | 17.0 | 17.1 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 5.1 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 3.0 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 2.1 |
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 | Derik Queen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | -0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.6 | +0.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Jaden McDaniels stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Derik Queen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#94) | +0.8 (#39) |
| REB | -2.4 (#159) | +1.2 (#36) |
| AST | -1.5 (#121) | +1.0 (#34) |
| STL | -1.8 (#131) | -0.1 (#63) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#140) | -0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | -0.2 (#68) | +0.7 (#41) |
| FG% | -1.7 (#109) | -0.3 (#66) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#126) | +0.3 (#55) |
| TO | -1.1 (#86) | +0.5 (#55) |
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)
- Derik Queen: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
- Jaden McDaniels: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Derik Queen: 28.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
- Jaden McDaniels: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derik Queen playing tonight? · Is Jaden McDaniels playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Derik Queen
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derik Queen or Jaden McDaniels?
Points leagues: Derik Queen. 29.2 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 93rd on our board to 95th. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (46th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derik Queen or Jaden McDaniels?
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 2 (REB and AST) and Jaden McDaniels in 7 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derik Queen or Jaden McDaniels?
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Derik Queen: 87.5 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number