Isaiah Hartenstein vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, Isaiah Hartenstein leads in points leagues (27.9 fantasy points a game to 27.7) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 9-cat leagues (61st against 116th). 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
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #107
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.0 z, slot 6.01, $15
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 106th on our board to 107th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (61st to 116th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Hartenstein produces more: 42.4 fantasy points to 34.0, on 23.7 minutes a night against 29.4. 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), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.9 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 23.7 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 8.7 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 58.7% | 55.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.0% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 47 | 78 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.4 | 34.0 |
| Points | 13.2 | 15.8 |
| Rebounds | 13.4 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 1.5 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.2 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| Total | -1.6 | -0.0 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Wendell Carter Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Isaiah Hartenstein | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#72) | +0.5 (#44) |
| REB | -3.3 (#216) | -0.9 (#89) |
| AST | -1.6 (#130) | +0.8 (#38) |
| STL | -1.5 (#121) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#144) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#60) | +0.5 (#46) |
| FG% | -3.5 (#175) | -1.3 (#94) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#74) | -0.2 (#69) |
| TO | -1.9 (#109) | -0.9 (#76) |
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).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Isaiah Hartenstein or Wendell Carter Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Isaiah Hartenstein: 16.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.9 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 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 Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Hartenstein or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Isaiah Hartenstein. 27.9 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 106th on our board to 107th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (61st to 116th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Hartenstein or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Isaiah Hartenstein is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Hartenstein or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Isaiah Hartenstein plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Isaiah Hartenstein: 83.7 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number