Dillon Brooks vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Dillon Brooks plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 55.3 for Dillon Brooks. Over the season, Wendell Carter Jr. leads in both formats: 27.7 fantasy points a game to 27.7, and 59th against 177th 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 25, 10:29 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #107
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #177
- -3.2 z, slot 15.09
- Points leagues
- #105
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.09, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #59
- -0.0 z, slot 5.11, $15
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr.. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 105th on our board to 107th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (59th to 177th).
Category by category, Dillon Brooks is ahead in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Wendell Carter Jr. produces more: 34.0 fantasy points to 32.8, on 29.4 minutes a night against 30.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Dillon Brooks plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 55.3 for Dillon Brooks.
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 | Dillon Brooks | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 30.3 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 19.3 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.5% | 55.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.5% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 78 |
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 | Dillon Brooks | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 32.8 | 34.0 |
| Points | 22.9 | 15.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.2 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.5 |
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 | Dillon Brooks | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.9 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.4 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| Total | -3.2 | -0.0 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Wendell Carter Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Dillon Brooks | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.7 (#256) | +0.5 (#45) |
| REB | -2.3 (#148) | -0.9 (#87) |
| AST | -2.4 (#171) | +0.8 (#39) |
| STL | -2.9 (#178) | +0.5 (#45) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#144) | -0.2 (#63) |
| 3PM | -3.8 (#217) | +0.5 (#46) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#116) | -1.3 (#94) |
| FT% | -3.7 (#205) | -0.2 (#69) |
| TO | -3.3 (#150) | -0.9 (#78) |
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)
- Dillon Brooks: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Dillon Brooks: 17.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Dillon Brooks playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Dillon Brooks or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr.. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 105th on our board to 107th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (59th to 177th).
Who wins more categories, Dillon Brooks or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Dillon Brooks is ahead in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Dillon Brooks or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Dillon Brooks plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 55.3 for Dillon Brooks.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 10:29 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number