Desmond Bane vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 91.7 for Jabari Smith Jr.. Over the season, Desmond Bane leads in both formats: 32.0 fantasy points a game to 30.6, and 51st against 52nd 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #67
- 32.0 FP/G, slot 6.07, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.2 z, slot 5.03, $17
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #79
- 30.6 FP/G, slot 7.07, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #52
- +0.2 z, slot 5.04, $17
The call
Points leagues: Desmond Bane. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 30.6, 67th on our board to 79th.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (51st to 52nd).
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Desmond Bane produces more: 34.7 fantasy points to 31.4, on 33.2 minutes a night against 35.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 91.7 for Jabari Smith Jr..
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Desmond Bane | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.0 | 30.6 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 16.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 6.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.1% | 46.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.8% | 78.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 77 |
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 | Desmond Bane | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.7 | 31.4 |
| Points | 20.7 | 16.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 4.1 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.4 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Desmond Bane | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | -0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | +0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.6 |
| Total | +0.2 | +0.2 |
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, steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jabari Smith Jr..
| Punt | Desmond Bane | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#73) | +0.2 (#54) |
| REB | +1.0 (#38) | -0.3 (#69) |
| AST | +0.1 (#51) | +1.0 (#35) |
| STL | -0.1 (#62) | +0.7 (#44) |
| BLK | +0.8 (#42) | -0.5 (#72) |
| 3PM | -0.4 (#73) | -0.6 (#82) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#41) | +0.6 (#49) |
| FT% | -1.1 (#99) | +0.2 (#53) |
| TO | +0.4 (#56) | -0.5 (#68) |
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)
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Desmond Bane: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.0 on the board.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 32.0 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 30.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Desmond Bane playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Desmond Bane
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Desmond Bane or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Desmond Bane. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 30.6, 67th on our board to 79th. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, +0.2 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (51st to 52nd).
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Desmond Bane or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 96.0 projected fantasy points to 91.7 for Jabari Smith Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number