Jabari Smith Jr. vs Tyler Herro: who to start in Week 2
Jabari Smith Jr. plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Tyler Herro 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 124.9 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro. Over the season, Tyler Herro leads in both formats: 34.9 fantasy points a game to 31.2, and 41st against 43rd 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 28, 8:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #72
- 31.2 FP/G, slot 6.12, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #43
- +0.5 z, slot 4.07, $18
- Points leagues
- #46
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 4.10, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #41
- +0.7 z, slot 4.05, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Tyler Herro. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 31.2, 46th on our board to 72nd.
9-cat leagues: Tyler Herro again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against +0.5 (41st to 43rd).
Category by category, Jabari Smith Jr. is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Tyler Herro in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Tyler Herro produces more: 40.0 fantasy points to 31.9, on 31.4 minutes a night against 35.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jabari Smith Jr. plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Tyler Herro 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 124.9 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro.
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 | Jabari Smith Jr. | Tyler Herro |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.2 | 34.9 |
| Minutes | 35.2 | 31.4 |
| PointsPTS | 16.0 | 21.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.8 | 5.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.2% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.8% | 85.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 33 |
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 | Jabari Smith Jr. | Tyler Herro |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 31.9 | 40.0 |
| Points | 16.3 | 24.2 |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 3.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 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 | Jabari Smith Jr. | Tyler Herro |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.1 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | -0.2 |
| Total | +0.5 | +0.7 |
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 points, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jabari Smith Jr..
| Punt | Jabari Smith Jr. | Tyler Herro |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.5 (#50) | -0.2 (#64) |
| REB | -0.1 (#60) | +1.1 (#34) |
| AST | +1.3 (#31) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | +0.9 (#36) | +1.4 (#30) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#66) | +1.4 (#32) |
| 3PM | -0.2 (#67) | -0.7 (#81) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#42) | +1.0 (#38) |
| FT% | +0.5 (#45) | -0.1 (#60) |
| TO | -0.3 (#69) | +0.9 (#44) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- Tyler Herro: 3 games (Mon IND, Wed HOU, Sat CLE).
Recent games
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 34.4 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 31.2 on the board.
- Tyler Herro: 39.5 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight? · Is Tyler Herro playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jabari Smith Jr. or Tyler Herro?
Points leagues: Tyler Herro. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 31.2, 46th on our board to 72nd. 9-cat leagues: Tyler Herro again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against +0.5 (41st to 43rd).
Who wins more categories, Jabari Smith Jr. or Tyler Herro?
Category by category, Jabari Smith Jr. is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Tyler Herro in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jabari Smith Jr. or Tyler Herro?
Jabari Smith Jr. plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Tyler Herro 3. For that week alone, start Jabari Smith Jr.: 124.9 projected fantasy points to 104.7 for Tyler Herro.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 8:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number