Jalen Suggs vs Jaren Jackson Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Suggs plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Jalen Suggs. Over the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. leads in points leagues (34.5 fantasy points a game to 31.6) and Jalen Suggs in 9-cat leagues (41st against 42nd). 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 21, 4:56 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #75
- 31.6 FP/G, slot 7.03, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #41
- +0.8 z, slot 4.05, $20
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #51
- 34.5 FP/G, slot 5.03, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #42
- +0.8 z, slot 4.06, $20
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.5 fantasy points per game against 31.6, 51st on our board to 75th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, +0.8 in summed z-scores against +0.8 (41st to 42nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jalen Suggs is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Suggs produces more: 41.2 fantasy points to 41.0, on 27.6 minutes a night against 30.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jalen Suggs plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Jalen Suggs.
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 Suggs | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.6 | 34.5 |
| Minutes | 27.6 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 13.8 | 19.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.5% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.5% | 80.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 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 | Jalen Suggs | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.2 | 41.0 |
| Points | 18.0 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 6.7 |
| Assists | 7.1 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 2.6 |
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 Suggs | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.9 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +2.4 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.0 | +1.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.0 | -0.5 |
| Total | +0.8 | +0.8 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jaren Jackson Jr..
| Punt | Jalen Suggs | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.2 (#31) | +0.2 (#56) |
| REB | +1.7 (#25) | +0.7 (#43) |
| AST | -0.2 (#67) | +1.5 (#28) |
| STL | -1.6 (#127) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | +0.7 (#42) | -0.9 (#85) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#57) | +0.6 (#44) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#32) | +0.9 (#44) |
| FT% | +0.4 (#54) | +0.7 (#42) |
| TO | +1.9 (#36) | +1.2 (#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 390 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Jalen Suggs: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Jalen Suggs: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 31.6 on the board.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 39.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 34.5 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Suggs playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Suggs
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Suggs or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 34.5 fantasy points per game against 31.6, 51st on our board to 75th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, +0.8 in summed z-scores against +0.8 (41st to 42nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Suggs or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Category by category, Jalen Suggs is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Suggs or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Jalen Suggs plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaren Jackson Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaren Jackson Jr.: 103.6 projected fantasy points to 94.8 for Jalen Suggs.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 21, 2026 at 4:56 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number