Donovan Clingan vs Jaren Jackson Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 69.5 for Donovan Clingan. Over the season, Donovan Clingan leads in both formats: 34.7 fantasy points a game to 34.5, and 30th against 42nd 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, 4:56 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #50
- 34.7 FP/G, slot 5.02, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #30
- +1.5 z, slot 3.06, $24
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #51
- 34.5 FP/G, slot 5.03, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #42
- +0.8 z, slot 4.06, $20
The call
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 34.7 fantasy points per game against 34.5, 50th on our board to 51st.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +0.8 (30th to 42nd).
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Donovan Clingan produces more: 46.0 fantasy points to 41.0, on 27.2 minutes a night against 30.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 69.5 for Donovan Clingan.
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 | Donovan Clingan | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.7 | 34.5 |
| Minutes | 27.2 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 12.1 | 19.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.6 | 5.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.0% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.0% | 80.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 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 | Donovan Clingan | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.0 | 41.0 |
| Points | 16.1 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 15.3 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 2.2 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 2.6 |
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 | Donovan Clingan | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.6 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.0 | +1.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | -0.5 |
| Total | +1.5 | +0.8 |
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 rebounds, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jaren Jackson Jr..
| Punt | Donovan Clingan | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.2 (#16) | +0.2 (#56) |
| REB | -1.3 (#104) | +0.7 (#43) |
| AST | +2.3 (#20) | +1.5 (#28) |
| STL | +2.7 (#15) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#84) | -0.9 (#85) |
| 3PM | +2.1 (#22) | +0.6 (#44) |
| FG% | +0.6 (#50) | +0.9 (#44) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#18) | +0.7 (#42) |
| TO | +0.5 (#53) | +1.2 (#44) |
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 390 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Donovan Clingan: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Donovan Clingan or Jaren Jackson Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Donovan Clingan: 33.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 34.7 on the board.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 39.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 34.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Donovan Clingan playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Donovan Clingan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Donovan Clingan or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Donovan Clingan. 34.7 fantasy points per game against 34.5, 50th on our board to 51st. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Clingan again, +1.5 in summed z-scores against +0.8 (30th to 42nd).
Who wins more categories, Donovan Clingan or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Category by category, Donovan Clingan is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 4 (PTS, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Donovan Clingan or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Donovan Clingan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 69.5 for Donovan Clingan.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 21, 2026 at 4:56 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number