Devin Booker vs Jaren Jackson Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Devin Booker plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 104.5 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Devin Booker. Over the season, Devin Booker leads in points leagues (39.5 fantasy points a game to 34.8) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 9-cat leagues (42nd against 44th). 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, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #27
- 39.5 FP/G, slot 3.03, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #44
- +0.7 z, slot 4.08, $19
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #48
- 34.8 FP/G, slot 4.12, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #42
- +1.0 z, slot 4.06, $21
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Devin Booker. 39.5 fantasy points per game against 34.8, 27th on our board to 48th.
9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. instead, +1.0 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (42nd to 44th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Devin Booker is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Devin Booker produces more: 42.8 fantasy points to 41.4, on 33.2 minutes a night against 30.3. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Devin Booker plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 104.5 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Devin Booker.
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 | Devin Booker | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.5 | 34.8 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 25.9 | 19.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.9 |
| AssistsAST | 5.8 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.9% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.2% | 79.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 48 |
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 | Devin Booker | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.8 | 41.4 |
| Points | 28.0 | 23.0 |
| Rebounds | 4.2 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 6.3 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 2.9 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Devin Booker | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | +0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +1.1 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | +0.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +2.2 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.5 | -0.7 |
| Total | +0.7 | +1.0 |
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, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Devin Booker.
| Punt | Devin Booker | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#106) | +0.4 (#47) |
| REB | +1.6 (#29) | +0.8 (#40) |
| AST | -0.5 (#70) | +1.6 (#26) |
| STL | +1.2 (#31) | +0.8 (#39) |
| BLK | +1.5 (#31) | -1.0 (#90) |
| 3PM | +0.4 (#50) | +0.7 (#41) |
| FG% | +1.7 (#31) | +0.9 (#43) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#121) | +0.9 (#40) |
| TO | +2.2 (#34) | +1.6 (#39) |
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)
- Devin Booker: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW).
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Devin Booker: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 39.5 on the board.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 37.3 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 34.8 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Devin Booker playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Devin Booker
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Devin Booker or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Devin Booker. 39.5 fantasy points per game against 34.8, 27th on our board to 48th. 9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. instead, +1.0 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (42nd to 44th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Devin Booker or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Category by category, Devin Booker is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Devin Booker or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Devin Booker plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 104.5 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Devin Booker.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number