Derrick White vs Paul George: who to start in Week 1
Derrick White plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Paul George: 70.7 projected fantasy points to 69.9 for Derrick White. Over the season, Paul George leads in both formats: 35.3 fantasy points a game to 34.9, and 20th 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 22, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #48
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 4.12, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #32
- +1.5 z, slot 3.08, $24
- Points leagues
- #45
- 35.3 FP/G, slot 4.09, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #20
- +2.8 z, slot 2.08, $31
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paul George. 35.3 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 45th on our board to 48th.
9-cat leagues: Paul George again, +2.8 in summed z-scores against +1.5 (20th to 32nd).
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%) and Paul George in 6 (PTS, REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Paul George produces more: 41.5 fantasy points to 36.8, on 30.7 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), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Paul George: 70.7 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 | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.9 | 35.3 |
| Minutes | 34.2 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 16.5 | 18.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 3.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.3% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 90.2% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 37 |
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 | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.8 | 41.5 |
| Points | 17.4 | 21.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 4.2 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 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 | Derrick White | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.0 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +1.0 | -0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +2.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.1 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | +1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -2.0 | -0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.0 | +0.1 |
| Total | +1.5 | +2.8 |
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 steals flips the 9-cat answer to Derrick White.
| Punt | Derrick White | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#25) | +2.3 (#14) |
| REB | +2.3 (#21) | +3.1 (#19) |
| AST | +0.5 (#45) | +2.7 (#16) |
| STL | +1.1 (#30) | +0.3 (#54) |
| BLK | +0.5 (#48) | +3.4 (#14) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#55) | +1.3 (#34) |
| FG% | +3.8 (#16) | +3.8 (#15) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#44) | +2.4 (#20) |
| TO | +1.5 (#39) | +2.8 (#23) |
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).
- Paul George: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Derrick White: 29.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
- Paul George: 60.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 35.3 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 Paul George playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Paul George
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick White or Paul George?
Points leagues: Paul George. 35.3 fantasy points per game against 34.9, 45th on our board to 48th. 9-cat leagues: Paul George again, +2.8 in summed z-scores against +1.5 (20th to 32nd).
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or Paul George?
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%) and Paul George in 6 (PTS, REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Derrick White or Paul George?
Derrick White plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Paul George: 70.7 projected fantasy points to 69.9 for Derrick White.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number