Jaden McDaniels vs Jaren Jackson Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Jaden McDaniels plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels. Over the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. leads in both formats: 34.1 fantasy points a game to 29.0, and 44th against 46th 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, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #46
- +0.6 z, slot 4.10, $19
- Points leagues
- #53
- 34.1 FP/G, slot 5.05, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #44
- +0.6 z, slot 4.08, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.1 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 53rd on our board to 95th.
9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (44th to 46th).
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Jaren Jackson Jr. produces more: 40.7 fantasy points to 33.1, on 30.1 minutes a night against 31.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jaden McDaniels plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels.
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 | Jaden McDaniels | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 34.1 |
| Minutes | 31.6 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 19.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.9% | 48.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.5% | 79.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 48 |
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 | Jaden McDaniels | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.1 | 40.7 |
| Points | 17.1 | 22.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.1 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.9 |
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 | Jaden McDaniels | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +1.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | -0.7 |
| Total | +0.6 | +0.6 |
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, rebounds, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Jaden McDaniels.
| Punt | Jaden McDaniels | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#39) | +0.1 (#52) |
| REB | +1.2 (#36) | +0.6 (#43) |
| AST | +1.0 (#34) | +1.4 (#28) |
| STL | -0.1 (#63) | +0.3 (#53) |
| BLK | -0.0 (#59) | -1.1 (#92) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#41) | +0.4 (#50) |
| FG% | -0.3 (#66) | +0.7 (#46) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#55) | +0.6 (#45) |
| TO | +0.5 (#55) | +1.3 (#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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Jaden McDaniels: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Jaden McDaniels: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.0 on the board.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 28.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jaden McDaniels playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaden McDaniels or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.1 fantasy points per game against 29.0, 53rd on our board to 95th. 9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. again, +0.6 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (44th to 46th).
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Category by category, Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jaden McDaniels or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Jaden McDaniels plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 102.4 projected fantasy points to 86.9 for Jaden McDaniels.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number