Jaime Jaquez Jr. vs T.J. McConnell: who to start in Week 1
Jaime Jaquez Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for T.J. McConnell. Over the season, Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads in points leagues (29.6 fantasy points a game to 22.1) and T.J. McConnell in 9-cat leagues (165th against 166th). 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, 2:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #87
- 29.6 FP/G, slot 8.03, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #166
- -2.8 z, slot 14.10
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #170
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 15.02
- 9-cat leagues
- #165
- -2.8 z, slot 14.09
Day to day (Hamstring)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaime Jaquez Jr.. 29.6 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 87th on our board to 170th.
9-cat leagues: T.J. McConnell instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (165th to 166th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, 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 36.9, on 17.2 minutes a night against 28.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for T.J. McConnell.
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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.6 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 28.9 | 17.2 |
| PointsPTS | 16.0 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 2.2 |
| AssistsAST | 4.6 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.3% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.6% | 86.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.9 | 46.3 |
| Points | 19.9 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 6.8 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 5.7 | 10.7 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.1 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | +0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | +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 assists, steals, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jaime Jaquez Jr..
| Punt | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.8 (#205) | -1.6 (#146) |
| REB | -2.9 (#186) | -1.3 (#110) |
| AST | -3.4 (#211) | -3.6 (#228) |
| STL | -1.7 (#133) | -2.9 (#180) |
| BLK | -2.1 (#139) | -1.9 (#124) |
| 3PM | -2.1 (#144) | -1.6 (#119) |
| FG% | -4.1 (#209) | -3.9 (#198) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#151) | -2.9 (#175) |
| TO | -2.5 (#123) | -3.9 (#174) |
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)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- T.J. McConnell: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN), listed DTD.
Recent games
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 32.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.6 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 Jaime Jaquez Jr. playing tonight? · Is T.J. McConnell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Points leagues: Jaime Jaquez Jr.. 29.6 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 87th on our board to 170th. 9-cat leagues: T.J. McConnell instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -2.8 (165th to 166th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Category by category, Jaime Jaquez Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM and FG%) and T.J. McConnell in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jaime Jaquez Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Jaime Jaquez Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for T.J. McConnell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number