Isaiah Joe vs Ziaire Williams: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Joe plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 56.7 projected fantasy points to 54.2 for Isaiah Joe. Over the season, Ziaire Williams leads in both formats: 18.9 fantasy points a game to 18.1, and 176th against 177th 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, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #232
- 18.1 FP/G, slot 20.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #177
- -3.2 z, slot 15.09
- Points leagues
- #221
- 18.9 FP/G, slot 19.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #176
- -3.1 z, slot 15.08
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ziaire Williams. 18.9 fantasy points per game against 18.1, 221st on our board to 232nd.
9-cat leagues: Ziaire Williams again, -3.1 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (176th to 177th).
Category by category, Isaiah Joe is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ziaire Williams in 2 (STL and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Joe produces more: 30.8 fantasy points to 29.7, on 21.1 minutes a night against 22.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Isaiah Joe plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 56.7 projected fantasy points to 54.2 for Isaiah Joe.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Isaiah Joe | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 18.1 | 18.9 |
| Minutes | 21.1 | 22.9 |
| PointsPTS | 10.9 | 10.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.8% | 43.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.1% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 71 | 56 |
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 Joe | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 30.8 | 29.7 |
| Points | 18.5 | 15.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 4.3 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.1 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Isaiah Joe | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.5 | -1.5 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.5 | +0.9 |
| Total | -3.2 | -3.1 |
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 steals, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Joe.
| Punt | Isaiah Joe | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.3 (#180) | -2.0 (#167) |
| REB | -1.8 (#124) | -1.7 (#123) |
| AST | -2.1 (#157) | -2.0 (#149) |
| STL | -2.5 (#165) | -4.1 (#238) |
| BLK | -2.3 (#145) | -2.6 (#152) |
| 3PM | -4.1 (#234) | -3.0 (#180) |
| FG% | -2.6 (#140) | -2.6 (#141) |
| FT% | -3.7 (#208) | -3.5 (#195) |
| TO | -4.8 (#207) | -4.1 (#179) |
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 Joe: 3 games (Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI).
- Ziaire Williams: 3 games (Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA).
Recent games
- Isaiah Joe: 18.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 18.1 on the board.
- Ziaire Williams: 19.6 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 18.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Joe playing tonight? · Is Ziaire Williams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Joe or Ziaire Williams?
Points leagues: Ziaire Williams. 18.9 fantasy points per game against 18.1, 221st on our board to 232nd. 9-cat leagues: Ziaire Williams again, -3.1 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (176th to 177th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Joe or Ziaire Williams?
Category by category, Isaiah Joe is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ziaire Williams in 2 (STL and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Joe or Ziaire Williams?
Isaiah Joe plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 56.7 projected fantasy points to 54.2 for Isaiah Joe.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number