Isaiah Stewart vs T.J. McConnell: who to start in Week 1
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start T.J. McConnell: 66.3 projected fantasy points to 63.8 for Isaiah Stewart. Over the season, T.J. McConnell leads in points leagues (22.1 fantasy points a game to 21.3) and Isaiah Stewart in 9-cat leagues (166th against 167th). 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, 6:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #183
- 21.3 FP/G, slot 16.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #166
- -2.8 z, slot 14.10
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #167
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 14.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #167
- -2.8 z, slot 14.11
Day to day (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: T.J. McConnell. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 21.3, 167th on our board to 183rd.
9-cat leagues: Isaiah Stewart instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (166th to 167th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Isaiah Stewart is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and FG%) and T.J. McConnell in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, T.J. McConnell produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 34.4, on 17.2 minutes a night against 22.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start T.J. McConnell: 66.3 projected fantasy points to 63.8 for Isaiah Stewart.
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 Stewart | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.3 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 22.3 | 17.2 |
| PointsPTS | 9.6 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 2.2 |
| AssistsAST | 1.1 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 55.3% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.6% | 86.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 58 | 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 Stewart | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.4 | 46.3 |
| Points | 15.6 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 1.7 | 10.7 |
| Steals | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 2.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.4 |
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 Stewart | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | -1.3 | +0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -1.9 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.7 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | -1.0 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | +0.9 |
| Total | -2.8 | -2.8 |
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, blocks, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to T.J. McConnell.
| Punt | Isaiah Stewart | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#145) | -1.6 (#147) |
| REB | -2.6 (#167) | -1.3 (#110) |
| AST | -1.5 (#128) | -3.6 (#228) |
| STL | -1.0 (#94) | -2.9 (#179) |
| BLK | -4.8 (#264) | -1.9 (#126) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#126) | -1.6 (#118) |
| FG% | -4.0 (#201) | -3.8 (#196) |
| FT% | -2.5 (#159) | -2.9 (#178) |
| TO | -3.7 (#167) | -3.9 (#173) |
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 Stewart: 3 games (Wed UTA, Fri @GSW, Sun @SAC).
- T.J. McConnell: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN), listed DTD.
Recent games
- Isaiah Stewart: 7.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.3 on the board.
- T.J. McConnell: 24.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Stewart playing tonight? · Is T.J. McConnell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Stewart or T.J. McConnell?
Points leagues: T.J. McConnell. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 21.3, 167th on our board to 183rd. 9-cat leagues: Isaiah Stewart instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (166th to 167th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Stewart or T.J. McConnell?
Category by category, Isaiah Stewart is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and FG%) and T.J. McConnell in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Isaiah Stewart or T.J. McConnell?
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start T.J. McConnell: 66.3 projected fantasy points to 63.8 for Isaiah Stewart.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 6:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number