Jalen Brunson vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, Jalen Brunson leads in both formats: 39.3 fantasy points a game to 27.7, and 59th against 61st 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #30
- 39.3 FP/G, slot 3.06, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #59
- -0.0 z, slot 5.11, $15
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #107
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.0 z, slot 6.01, $15
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.3 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 30th on our board to 107th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (59th to 61st).
Category by category, Jalen Brunson is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Brunson produces more: 40.3 fantasy points to 34.0, on 35.1 minutes a night against 29.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Jalen Brunson | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 35.1 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 25.3 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.6% | 55.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.3% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 74 | 78 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.3 | 34.0 |
| Points | 26.0 | 15.8 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 6.6 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jalen Brunson | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.6 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | +1.4 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.0 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.0 | -0.0 |
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 points, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Wendell Carter Jr..
| Punt | Jalen Brunson | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#146) | +0.5 (#44) |
| REB | +1.0 (#37) | -0.9 (#89) |
| AST | -1.6 (#129) | +0.8 (#38) |
| STL | +0.8 (#40) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | +1.0 (#38) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#98) | +0.5 (#46) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#42) | -1.3 (#94) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#90) | -0.2 (#69) |
| TO | +0.7 (#50) | -0.9 (#76) |
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)
- Jalen Brunson: 3 games (Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Jalen Brunson: 29.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.3 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Brunson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Brunson or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson. 39.3 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 30th on our board to 107th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (59th to 61st).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Brunson or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Jalen Brunson is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Brunson or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Jalen Brunson plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Brunson: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number