Ja Morant vs Paul George: who to start in Week 1
Ja Morant plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Ja Morant: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 70.7 for Paul George. Over the season, Ja Morant leads in points leagues (36.0 fantasy points a game to 35.3) and Paul George in 9-cat leagues (20th against 109th). 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, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #43
- 36.0 FP/G, slot 4.07, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #109
- -1.5 z, slot 10.01, $7
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #45
- 35.3 FP/G, slot 4.09, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #20
- +2.8 z, slot 2.08, $31
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 35.3, 43rd on our board to 45th.
9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, +2.8 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (20th to 109th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ja Morant is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Paul George in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ja Morant produces more: 46.2 fantasy points to 41.5, on 28.1 minutes a night against 30.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ja Morant plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Ja Morant: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 70.7 for Paul George.
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 | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 36.0 | 35.3 |
| Minutes | 28.1 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 18.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 8.0 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 3.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.1% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.7% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 20 | 37 |
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 | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.2 | 41.5 |
| Points | 24.5 | 21.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 10.3 | 4.2 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 4.3 | 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 | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +2.2 | -0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +2.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.7 | -0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.0 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.5 | +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
No punt changes the answer: Paul George stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.0 (#161) | +2.3 (#14) |
| REB | -0.4 (#66) | +3.1 (#19) |
| AST | -3.8 (#237) | +2.7 (#16) |
| STL | -1.8 (#135) | +0.3 (#54) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#76) | +3.4 (#14) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#97) | +1.3 (#34) |
| FG% | +0.2 (#59) | +3.8 (#15) |
| FT% | -3.3 (#183) | +2.4 (#20) |
| TO | +0.5 (#56) | +2.8 (#23) |
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)
- Ja Morant: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
- Paul George: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- Ja Morant: 40.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 36.0 on the board.
- Paul George: 60.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 35.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ja Morant playing tonight? · Is Paul George playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ja Morant, Paul George
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ja Morant or Paul George?
Points leagues: Ja Morant. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 35.3, 43rd on our board to 45th. 9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, +2.8 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (20th to 109th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ja Morant or Paul George?
Category by category, Ja Morant is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FT%) and Paul George in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ja Morant or Paul George?
Ja Morant plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paul George 2. For that week alone, start Ja Morant: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 70.7 for Paul George.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number