Derik Queen vs Josh Giddey: who to start in Week 1
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 116.4 projected fantasy points to 88.3 for Derik Queen. Over the season, Josh Giddey leads in both formats: 38.8 fantasy points a game to 29.4, and 88th against 90th 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 25, 4:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #87
- 29.4 FP/G, slot 8.03, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $9
- Points leagues
- #34
- 38.8 FP/G, slot 3.10, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #88
- -1.0 z, slot 8.04, $9
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Josh Giddey. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 34th on our board to 87th.
9-cat leagues: Josh Giddey again, -1.0 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (88th to 90th).
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Josh Giddey in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Josh Giddey produces more: 45.0 fantasy points to 42.7, on 31.0 minutes a night against 24.8. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 116.4 projected fantasy points to 88.3 for Derik Queen.
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 | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.4 | 38.8 |
| Minutes | 24.8 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 11.9 | 15.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.3 | 8.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 9.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 42.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.7% | 74.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 3.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 54 |
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 | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.7 | 45.0 |
| Points | 17.3 | 17.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 4.9 | 10.5 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.1 | 3.9 |
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 | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +2.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | +0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -1.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -1.9 |
| Total | -1.1 | -1.0 |
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 points, rebounds, assists and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Derik Queen.
| Punt | Derik Queen | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#72) | -0.8 (#99) |
| REB | -1.9 (#132) | -2.2 (#145) |
| AST | -0.9 (#98) | -3.8 (#232) |
| STL | -1.3 (#111) | -0.7 (#79) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#121) | -0.7 (#79) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#52) | -1.1 (#97) |
| FG% | -1.3 (#95) | -0.2 (#68) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#114) | -0.4 (#76) |
| TO | -0.9 (#77) | +0.8 (#48) |
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)
- Derik Queen: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
- Josh Giddey: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Derik Queen: 30.5 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 29.4 on the board.
- Josh Giddey: 24.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 38.8 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 Josh Giddey playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Derik Queen, Josh Giddey
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derik Queen or Josh Giddey?
Points leagues: Josh Giddey. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 29.4, 34th on our board to 87th. 9-cat leagues: Josh Giddey again, -1.0 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (88th to 90th).
Who wins more categories, Derik Queen or Josh Giddey?
Category by category, Derik Queen is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Josh Giddey in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derik Queen or Josh Giddey?
Derik Queen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 116.4 projected fantasy points to 88.3 for Derik Queen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 4:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number