Dylan Harper vs T.J. McConnell: who to start in Week 1
Dylan Harper plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Dylan Harper: 74.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell. Over the season, Dylan Harper leads in points leagues (24.9 fantasy points a game to 22.1) and T.J. McConnell in 9-cat leagues (168th against 169th). 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, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #137
- 24.9 FP/G, slot 12.05, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #169
- -2.9 z, slot 15.01
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #165
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 14.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #168
- -2.8 z, slot 14.12
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Dylan Harper. 24.9 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 137th on our board to 165th.
9-cat leagues: T.J. McConnell instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (168th to 169th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Dylan Harper is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM) and T.J. McConnell in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, T.J. McConnell produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 37.0, on 17.2 minutes a night against 24.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Dylan Harper plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Dylan Harper: 74.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
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 | Dylan Harper | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.9 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 24.1 | 17.2 |
| PointsPTS | 13.2 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.8% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.1% | 86.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 56 |
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 | Dylan Harper | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.0 | 46.3 |
| Points | 19.6 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 5.5 | 10.7 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.4 |
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 | Dylan Harper | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.9 |
| Total | -2.9 | -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 assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Dylan Harper.
| Punt | Dylan Harper | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.4 (#190) | -1.6 (#147) |
| REB | -2.1 (#141) | -1.3 (#112) |
| AST | -3.0 (#197) | -3.6 (#226) |
| STL | -2.3 (#154) | -2.9 (#177) |
| BLK | -2.3 (#147) | -1.9 (#128) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#156) | -1.5 (#116) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#173) | -3.9 (#201) |
| FT% | -2.9 (#175) | -3.0 (#177) |
| TO | -3.6 (#159) | -3.9 (#175) |
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)
- Dylan Harper: 3 games (Tue OKC, Fri HOU, Sat @DAL), 1 back-to-back.
- T.J. McConnell: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN), listed Out.
Recent games
- Dylan Harper: 31.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 24.9 on the board.
- T.J. McConnell: 24.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Dylan Harper playing tonight? · Is T.J. McConnell playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Dylan Harper
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Dylan Harper or T.J. McConnell?
Points leagues: Dylan Harper. 24.9 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 137th on our board to 165th. 9-cat leagues: T.J. McConnell instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (168th to 169th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Dylan Harper or T.J. McConnell?
Category by category, Dylan Harper is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM) and T.J. McConnell in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Dylan Harper or T.J. McConnell?
Dylan Harper plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Dylan Harper: 74.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number