Derrick Jones Jr. vs Steven Adams: who to start in Week 1
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 63.9 for Steven Adams. Over the season, Derrick Jones Jr. leads in both formats: 21.4 fantasy points a game to 21.3, and 135th against 256th 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 22, 9:54 AM 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 and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #189
- 21.3 FP/G, slot 16.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #256
- -4.9 z, slot 22.04
Day to day (Calf)
The call
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 21.3, 185th on our board to 189th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (135th to 256th).
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 8 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Steven Adams in 1 (REB).
Per 36 minutes, Steven Adams produces more: 33.6 fantasy points to 28.6, on 22.8 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), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 63.9 for Steven Adams.
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. | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.4 | 21.3 |
| Minutes | 26.9 | 22.8 |
| PointsPTS | 9.9 | 5.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 8.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.7% | 50.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.6% | 58.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 50 | 32 |
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. | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 33.6 |
| Points | 13.3 | 9.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.8 | 13.6 |
| Assists | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.1 | 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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | +1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.2 | -4.9 |
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: Derrick Jones Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Derrick Jones Jr. | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#114) | -3.1 (#224) |
| REB | -1.4 (#113) | -6.8 (#365) |
| AST | -1.2 (#108) | -3.8 (#235) |
| STL | -2.0 (#143) | -4.1 (#237) |
| BLK | -2.9 (#169) | -5.3 (#290) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#123) | -3.1 (#191) |
| FG% | -2.7 (#149) | -6.0 (#292) |
| FT% | -1.9 (#133) | -3.1 (#178) |
| TO | -3.7 (#164) | -6.1 (#254) |
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).
- Steven Adams: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
Recent games
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 24.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.4 on the board.
- Steven Adams: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 21.3 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 Steven Adams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick Jones Jr. or Steven Adams?
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 21.3, 185th on our board to 189th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (135th to 256th).
Who wins more categories, Derrick Jones Jr. or Steven Adams?
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 8 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Steven Adams in 1 (REB).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derrick Jones Jr. or Steven Adams?
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Derrick Jones Jr.: 64.3 projected fantasy points to 63.9 for Steven Adams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number