Franz Wagner vs Jaren Jackson Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 102.2 for Franz Wagner. Over the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. leads in both formats: 34.1 fantasy points a game to 34.1, and 44th against 78th 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #54
- 34.1 FP/G, slot 5.06, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #78
- -0.7 z, slot 7.06, $11
- Points leagues
- #53
- 34.1 FP/G, slot 5.05, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #44
- +0.6 z, slot 4.08, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.1 fantasy points per game against 34.1, 53rd on our board to 54th.
9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (44th to 78th).
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, FT% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Franz Wagner produces more: 41.0 fantasy points to 40.7, on 29.9 minutes a night against 30.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 102.2 for Franz Wagner.
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 | Franz Wagner | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.1 | 34.1 |
| Minutes | 29.9 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 20.6 | 19.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.9% | 48.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.9% | 79.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 34 | 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 | Franz Wagner | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.0 | 40.7 |
| Points | 24.9 | 22.8 |
| Rebounds | 6.3 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.8 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.9 |
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 | Franz Wagner | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +1.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -0.7 |
| Total | -0.7 | +0.6 |
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 blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Franz Wagner.
| Punt | Franz Wagner | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.5 (#128) | +0.1 (#52) |
| REB | -0.6 (#75) | +0.6 (#43) |
| AST | -0.7 (#81) | +1.4 (#28) |
| STL | -0.6 (#81) | +0.3 (#53) |
| BLK | -0.1 (#62) | -1.1 (#92) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#82) | +0.4 (#50) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#82) | +0.7 (#46) |
| FT% | -1.0 (#93) | +0.6 (#45) |
| TO | -0.8 (#76) | +1.3 (#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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Franz Wagner: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Franz Wagner or Jaren Jackson Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Franz Wagner: 36.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.1 on the board.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 28.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Franz Wagner playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Franz Wagner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Franz Wagner or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.1 fantasy points per game against 34.1, 53rd on our board to 54th. 9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.7 (44th to 78th).
Who wins more categories, Franz Wagner or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Category by category, Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, FT% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Franz Wagner or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Franz Wagner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 102.2 for Franz Wagner.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number