Derrick Jones Jr. vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 1
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 60.4 for Ryan Kalkbrenner. Over the season, Derrick Jones Jr. leads in points leagues (21.4 fantasy points a game to 20.1) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 9-cat leagues (132nd against 135th). 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, 3:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #185
- 21.4 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #135
- -2.2 z, slot 12.03, $3
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #205
- 20.1 FP/G, slot 18.01
- 9-cat leagues
- #132
- -2.1 z, slot 11.12, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 185th on our board to 205th.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (132nd to 135th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Kalkbrenner produces more: 34.5 fantasy points to 28.6, on 21.0 minutes a night against 26.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 60.4 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.4 | 20.1 |
| Minutes | 26.9 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 9.9 | 7.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.7% | 74.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.6% | 71.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 50 | 69 |
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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 34.5 |
| Points | 13.3 | 12.6 |
| Rebounds | 4.8 | 9.3 |
| Assists | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 2.6 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.1 | 1.6 |
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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +1.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.2 | -2.1 |
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 field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Derrick Jones Jr..
| Punt | Derrick Jones Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#114) | -0.6 (#82) |
| REB | -1.4 (#113) | -2.2 (#142) |
| AST | -1.2 (#108) | -0.7 (#82) |
| STL | -2.0 (#143) | -0.6 (#80) |
| BLK | -2.9 (#169) | -4.1 (#237) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#123) | -0.4 (#72) |
| FG% | -2.7 (#149) | -4.4 (#229) |
| FT% | -1.9 (#133) | -1.7 (#124) |
| TO | -3.7 (#164) | -3.6 (#156) |
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)
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 24.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.4 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 19.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick Jones Jr. playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick Jones Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 185th on our board to 205th. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (132nd to 135th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derrick Jones Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derrick Jones Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 60.4 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number