Isaiah Hartenstein vs Ja Morant: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 71.0 for Ja Morant. Over the season, Ja Morant leads in both formats: 35.5 fantasy points a game to 27.9, and 115th against 116th 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #106
- 27.9 FP/G, slot 9.10, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #116
- -1.6 z, slot 10.08, $6
- Points leagues
- #45
- 35.5 FP/G, slot 4.09, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #115
- -1.6 z, slot 10.07, $6
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 35.5 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 45th on our board to 106th.
9-cat leagues: Ja Morant again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (115th to 116th).
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Ja Morant in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Ja Morant produces more: 45.7 fantasy points to 42.4, on 28.0 minutes a night against 23.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 71.0 for Ja Morant.
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.9 | 35.5 |
| Minutes | 23.7 | 28.0 |
| PointsPTS | 8.7 | 18.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 8.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 58.7% | 41.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.0% | 88.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 3.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 47 | 20 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.4 | 45.7 |
| Points | 13.2 | 24.0 |
| Rebounds | 13.4 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 10.3 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 4.3 |
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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +2.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -1.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.2 | +1.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -1.8 |
| Total | -1.6 | -1.6 |
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 points, assists, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Hartenstein.
| Punt | Isaiah Hartenstein | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#72) | -2.0 (#164) |
| REB | -3.3 (#216) | -0.5 (#76) |
| AST | -1.6 (#130) | -3.8 (#233) |
| STL | -1.5 (#121) | -1.9 (#136) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#144) | -0.8 (#84) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#60) | -1.1 (#100) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#175) | +0.2 (#57) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#74) | -3.2 (#183) |
| TO | -1.9 (#109) | +0.2 (#59) |
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)
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Ja Morant: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
Recent games
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 16.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
- Ja Morant: 33.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 35.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Hartenstein playing tonight? · Is Ja Morant playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ja Morant
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Hartenstein or Ja Morant?
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 35.5 fantasy points per game against 27.9, 45th on our board to 106th. 9-cat leagues: Ja Morant again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (115th to 116th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Hartenstein or Ja Morant?
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Ja Morant in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Hartenstein or Ja Morant?
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ja Morant 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 71.0 for Ja Morant.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number