Isaiah Hartenstein vs Peyton Watson: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 56.0 for Peyton Watson. Over the season, Isaiah Hartenstein leads in both formats: 28.6 fantasy points a game to 28.0, and 93rd against 110th 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
- #102
- 28.6 FP/G, slot 9.06, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #93
- -1.1 z, slot 8.09, $9
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #104
- 28.0 FP/G, slot 9.08, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #110
- -1.5 z, slot 10.02, $7
The call
Points leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 102nd on our board to 104th.
9-cat leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (93rd to 110th).
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Peyton Watson in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Hartenstein produces more: 43.3 fantasy points to 34.1, on 23.7 minutes a night against 29.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 56.0 for Peyton Watson.
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 | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.6 | 28.0 |
| Minutes | 23.7 | 29.6 |
| PointsPTS | 8.9 | 14.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 61.7% | 49.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.0% | 73.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 47 | 54 |
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 | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.3 | 34.1 |
| Points | 13.4 | 17.8 |
| Rebounds | 13.7 | 5.9 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 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 | Isaiah Hartenstein | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.5 | -0.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.0 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | +0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.3 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Total | -1.1 | -1.5 |
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 rebounds, assists and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Peyton Watson.
| Punt | Isaiah Hartenstein | Peyton Watson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#53) | -1.2 (#120) |
| REB | -3.0 (#187) | -1.3 (#110) |
| AST | -1.1 (#100) | -0.8 (#85) |
| STL | -1.2 (#102) | -1.3 (#112) |
| BLK | -1.7 (#119) | -2.6 (#158) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#48) | -1.4 (#107) |
| FG% | -3.2 (#165) | -1.9 (#120) |
| FT% | +0.2 (#58) | -0.8 (#87) |
| TO | -1.4 (#93) | -1.7 (#100) |
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)
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Peyton Watson: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Recent games
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 16.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.6 on the board.
- Peyton Watson: 27.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 28.0 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 Peyton Watson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Peyton Watson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Hartenstein or Peyton Watson?
Points leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 102nd on our board to 104th. 9-cat leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (93rd to 110th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Hartenstein or Peyton Watson?
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Peyton Watson in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Hartenstein or Peyton Watson?
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Peyton Watson 2. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 85.8 projected fantasy points to 56.0 for Peyton Watson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number