Ja'Kobe Walter vs Keldon Johnson: who to start in Week 2
Ja'Kobe Walter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 53.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter. Over the season, Keldon Johnson leads in points leagues (22.3 fantasy points a game to 17.9) and Ja'Kobe Walter in 9-cat leagues (175th against 176th). 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 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #232
- 17.9 FP/G, slot 20.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #175
- -3.0 z, slot 15.07
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #161
- 22.3 FP/G, slot 14.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #176
- -3.0 z, slot 15.08
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Keldon Johnson. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 17.9, 161st on our board to 232nd.
9-cat leagues: Ja'Kobe Walter instead, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (175th to 176th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ja'Kobe Walter is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Keldon Johnson in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Keldon Johnson produces more: 34.8 fantasy points to 30.1, on 23.0 minutes a night against 21.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ja'Kobe Walter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 53.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter.
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'Kobe Walter | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 17.9 | 22.3 |
| Minutes | 21.4 | 23.0 |
| PointsPTS | 8.4 | 12.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.0% | 52.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.0% | 78.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 82 |
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'Kobe Walter | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 30.1 | 34.8 |
| Points | 14.2 | 19.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 8.4 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 0.9 | 1.4 |
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 | Ja'Kobe Walter | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.4 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.7 | +1.2 |
| Total | -3.0 | -3.0 |
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, blocks, threes and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Keldon Johnson.
| Punt | Ja'Kobe Walter | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#152) | -2.4 (#188) |
| REB | -1.9 (#129) | -3.0 (#193) |
| AST | -2.0 (#153) | -2.0 (#151) |
| STL | -3.7 (#216) | -2.1 (#145) |
| BLK | -2.4 (#152) | -2.1 (#139) |
| 3PM | -3.1 (#188) | -2.5 (#166) |
| FG% | -2.8 (#155) | -3.9 (#205) |
| FT% | -2.8 (#167) | -3.0 (#179) |
| TO | -4.8 (#204) | -4.4 (#190) |
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)
- Ja'Kobe Walter: 3 games (Wed ORL, Fri ORL, Sun @LAL).
- Keldon Johnson: 3 games (Tue SAC, Wed @UTA, Sat MIN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Ja'Kobe Walter: 29.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 17.9 on the board.
- Keldon Johnson: 19.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 22.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ja'Kobe Walter playing tonight? · Is Keldon Johnson playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ja'Kobe Walter or Keldon Johnson?
Points leagues: Keldon Johnson. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 17.9, 161st on our board to 232nd. 9-cat leagues: Ja'Kobe Walter instead, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (175th to 176th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ja'Kobe Walter or Keldon Johnson?
Category by category, Ja'Kobe Walter is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Keldon Johnson in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Ja'Kobe Walter or Keldon Johnson?
Ja'Kobe Walter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 53.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number