Giannis Antetokounmpo vs Jalen Suggs: who to start in Week 1
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Suggs 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 146.3 projected fantasy points to 92.8 for Jalen Suggs. Over the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo leads in points leagues (48.8 fantasy points a game to 30.9) and Jalen Suggs in 9-cat leagues (48th against 49th). 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
- #6
- 48.8 FP/G, slot 1.06, $39
- 9-cat leagues
- #49
- +0.4 z, slot 5.01, $18
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #74
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.02, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #48
- +0.5 z, slot 4.12, $18
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 48.8 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 6th on our board to 74th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (48th to 49th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Giannis Antetokounmpo is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%) and Jalen Suggs in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Giannis Antetokounmpo produces more: 60.7 fantasy points to 39.9, on 28.9 minutes a night against 27.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Suggs 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 146.3 projected fantasy points to 92.8 for Jalen Suggs.
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 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 48.8 | 30.9 |
| Minutes | 28.9 | 27.9 |
| PointsPTS | 28.0 | 13.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.5 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 62.8% | 42.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 64.9% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 57 |
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 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 60.7 | 39.9 |
| Points | 34.9 | 17.2 |
| Rebounds | 11.9 | 4.9 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 7.0 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 4.0 | 3.4 |
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 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +2.0 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.7 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | +2.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | +0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +3.9 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -4.7 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.7 | -1.0 |
| Total | +0.4 | +0.5 |
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, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
| Punt | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#144) | +0.9 (#37) |
| REB | -2.2 (#143) | +1.3 (#34) |
| AST | -0.5 (#74) | -0.6 (#76) |
| STL | +0.5 (#47) | -2.0 (#140) |
| BLK | +0.1 (#57) | +0.5 (#47) |
| 3PM | +1.7 (#28) | -0.0 (#65) |
| FG% | -5.2 (#263) | +1.6 (#33) |
| FT% | +4.9 (#7) | -0.0 (#64) |
| TO | +2.2 (#33) | +1.5 (#41) |
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)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- Jalen Suggs: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 43.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 48.8 on the board.
- Jalen Suggs: 21.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 30.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing tonight? · Is Jalen Suggs playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Suggs
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jalen Suggs?
Points leagues: Giannis Antetokounmpo. 48.8 fantasy points per game against 30.9, 6th on our board to 74th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (48th to 49th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jalen Suggs?
Category by category, Giannis Antetokounmpo is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%) and Jalen Suggs in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jalen Suggs?
Giannis Antetokounmpo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jalen Suggs 3. For that week alone, start Giannis Antetokounmpo: 146.3 projected fantasy points to 92.8 for Jalen Suggs.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number