Grayson Allen vs Jaden McDaniels: who to start in Week 1
Grayson Allen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 86.9 projected fantasy points to 86.7 for Grayson Allen. Over the season, Jaden McDaniels leads in both formats: 29.0 fantasy points a game to 28.9, and 46th against 69th 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, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #97
- 28.9 FP/G, slot 9.01, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #69
- -0.4 z, slot 6.09, $13
- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #46
- +0.6 z, slot 4.10, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 28.9, 95th on our board to 97th.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (46th to 69th).
Category by category, Grayson Allen is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jaden McDaniels in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Grayson Allen produces more: 36.2 fantasy points to 33.1, on 28.8 minutes a night against 31.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Grayson Allen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 86.9 projected fantasy points to 86.7 for Grayson Allen.
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 | Grayson Allen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.9 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 28.8 | 31.6 |
| PointsPTS | 16.8 | 15.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.5% | 52.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.8% | 83.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 51 | 73 |
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 | Grayson Allen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.2 | 33.1 |
| Points | 21.0 | 17.1 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 5.1 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 3.0 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.1 |
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 | Grayson Allen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.7 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +1.6 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.5 | +0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.1 |
| Total | -0.4 | +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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Grayson Allen.
| Punt | Grayson Allen | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.5 (#80) | +0.8 (#39) |
| REB | +0.9 (#39) | +1.2 (#36) |
| AST | -0.6 (#78) | +1.0 (#34) |
| STL | -1.2 (#99) | -0.1 (#63) |
| BLK | +0.5 (#46) | -0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | -2.1 (#144) | +0.7 (#41) |
| FG% | +1.4 (#39) | -0.3 (#66) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#103) | +0.3 (#55) |
| TO | -0.5 (#69) | +0.5 (#55) |
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)
- Grayson Allen: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
- Jaden McDaniels: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Grayson Allen: 26.6 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.9 on the board.
- Jaden McDaniels: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Grayson Allen playing tonight? · Is Jaden McDaniels playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Grayson Allen or Jaden McDaniels?
Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 28.9, 95th on our board to 97th. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (46th to 69th).
Who wins more categories, Grayson Allen or Jaden McDaniels?
Category by category, Grayson Allen is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jaden McDaniels in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Grayson Allen or Jaden McDaniels?
Grayson Allen plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 86.9 projected fantasy points to 86.7 for Grayson Allen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number