Derrick White vs Onyeka Okongwu: who to start in Week 1
Derrick White plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 101.3 projected fantasy points to 69.9 for Derrick White. Over the season, Derrick White leads in both formats: 34.9 fantasy points a game to 33.8, and 31st against 32nd 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 21, 10:56 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #49
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 5.01, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #31
- +1.5 z, slot 3.07, $23
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #57
- 33.8 FP/G, slot 5.09, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #32
- +1.4 z, slot 3.08, $23
The call
Points leagues: Derrick White. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 33.8, 49th on our board to 57th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White again, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +1.4 (31st to 32nd).
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 3 (REB, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Onyeka Okongwu produces more: 39.2 fantasy points to 36.8, on 31.0 minutes a night against 34.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derrick White plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 101.3 projected fantasy points to 69.9 for Derrick White.
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 White | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.9 | 33.8 |
| Minutes | 34.2 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 16.5 | 15.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 7.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.3% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 90.2% | 75.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 74 |
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 White | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.8 | 39.2 |
| Points | 17.4 | 17.6 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 8.8 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.0 |
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 White | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.0 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | +0.9 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.0 | +0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | +0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.0 | +0.2 |
| Total | +1.5 | +1.4 |
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, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Onyeka Okongwu.
| Punt | Derrick White | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#26) | +1.5 (#25) |
| REB | +2.3 (#22) | +0.4 (#51) |
| AST | +0.5 (#42) | +1.5 (#29) |
| STL | +1.1 (#34) | +1.0 (#38) |
| BLK | +0.5 (#51) | +0.4 (#54) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#56) | +1.0 (#40) |
| FG% | +3.7 (#15) | +1.3 (#39) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#47) | +1.7 (#32) |
| TO | +1.5 (#41) | +1.1 (#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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Derrick White: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
- Onyeka Okongwu: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Derrick White: 29.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 27.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick White playing tonight? · Is Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Onyeka Okongwu
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick White or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Derrick White. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 33.8, 49th on our board to 57th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White again, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +1.4 (31st to 32nd).
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or Onyeka Okongwu?
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 3 (REB, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derrick White or Onyeka Okongwu?
Derrick White plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 101.3 projected fantasy points to 69.9 for Derrick White.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 21, 2026 at 10:56 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number