Jalen Brunson vs Jarrett Allen: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jarrett Allen 2. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jarrett Allen. Over the season, Jalen Brunson leads in points leagues (39.8 fantasy points a game to 32.4) and Jarrett Allen in 9-cat leagues (51st against 52nd). 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
- #30
- 39.8 FP/G, slot 3.06, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #52
- +0.4 z, slot 5.04, $17
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #67
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 6.07, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.4 z, slot 5.03, $18
Game-time decision (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.8 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 30th on our board to 67th.
9-cat leagues: Jarrett Allen instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (51st to 52nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jalen Brunson is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Jarrett Allen in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jarrett Allen produces more: 42.9 fantasy points to 41.0, on 27.1 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jarrett Allen 2. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jarrett Allen.
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 | Jalen Brunson | Jarrett Allen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.8 | 32.4 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 27.1 |
| PointsPTS | 25.7 | 15.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 8.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.6 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.8% | 63.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.4% | 70.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 74 | 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 | Jalen Brunson | Jarrett Allen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.0 | 42.9 |
| Points | 26.5 | 20.4 |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 11.3 |
| Assists | 6.8 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 1.8 |
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 | Jalen Brunson | Jarrett Allen |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.6 | -0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +1.2 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | +0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.0 | +2.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.0 | -1.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | +0.7 |
| Total | +0.4 | +0.4 |
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 rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Brunson.
| Punt | Jalen Brunson | Jarrett Allen |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.3 (#121) | +0.5 (#45) |
| REB | +1.5 (#30) | -1.2 (#102) |
| AST | -1.3 (#115) | +1.3 (#31) |
| STL | +1.1 (#31) | +0.4 (#49) |
| BLK | +1.6 (#30) | -0.2 (#67) |
| 3PM | -0.8 (#90) | +2.0 (#24) |
| FG% | +1.4 (#38) | -2.7 (#150) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#90) | +1.7 (#29) |
| TO | +1.0 (#48) | -0.4 (#67) |
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)
- Jalen Brunson: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
- Jarrett Allen: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN), listed GTD.
Recent games
- Jalen Brunson: 29.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 39.8 on the board.
- Jarrett Allen: 33.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 32.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight? · Is Jarrett Allen playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Brunson, Jarrett Allen
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Brunson or Jarrett Allen?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.8 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 30th on our board to 67th. 9-cat leagues: Jarrett Allen instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (51st to 52nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Brunson or Jarrett Allen?
Category by category, Jalen Brunson is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Jarrett Allen in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Brunson or Jarrett Allen?
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jarrett Allen 2. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 119.5 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jarrett Allen.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number