Jalen Suggs vs Onyeka Okongwu: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Suggs plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 94.8 projected fantasy points to 93.2 for Jalen Suggs. Over the season, Onyeka Okongwu leads in both formats: 31.6 fantasy points a game to 31.1, and 51st against 52nd 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #74
- 31.1 FP/G, slot 7.02, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #52
- +0.3 z, slot 5.04, $17
- Points leagues
- #71
- 31.6 FP/G, slot 6.11, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #51
- +0.3 z, slot 5.03, $17
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu. 31.6 fantasy points per game against 31.1, 71st on our board to 74th.
9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, +0.3 in summed z-scores against +0.3 (51st to 52nd).
Category by category, Jalen Suggs is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Suggs produces more: 39.6 fantasy points to 37.7, on 28.2 minutes a night against 30.1. 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), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 94.8 projected fantasy points to 93.2 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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.1 | 31.6 |
| Minutes | 28.2 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.1% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 77.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 74 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 39.6 | 37.7 |
| Points | 17.0 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 8.6 |
| Assists | 7.0 | 3.8 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 3.4 | 1.9 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.9 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | +2.1 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.0 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.0 | +0.3 |
| Total | +0.3 | +0.3 |
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, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Suggs.
| Punt | Jalen Suggs | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#36) | +0.7 (#39) |
| REB | +1.1 (#35) | -0.5 (#71) |
| AST | -0.7 (#84) | +0.5 (#42) |
| STL | -1.8 (#134) | +0.4 (#50) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#50) | -0.4 (#69) |
| 3PM | -0.1 (#67) | +0.2 (#58) |
| FG% | +1.4 (#36) | +0.5 (#54) |
| FT% | -0.0 (#59) | +0.5 (#49) |
| TO | +1.2 (#43) | -0.1 (#63) |
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 Suggs: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Onyeka Okongwu: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jalen Suggs: 27.2 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 31.1 on the board.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 31.6 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 Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Suggs, Onyeka Okongwu
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Suggs or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu. 31.6 fantasy points per game against 31.1, 71st on our board to 74th. 9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, +0.3 in summed z-scores against +0.3 (51st to 52nd).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Suggs or Onyeka Okongwu?
Category by category, Jalen Suggs is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Suggs or Onyeka Okongwu?
Jalen Suggs plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 94.8 projected fantasy points to 93.2 for Jalen Suggs.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number