Jalen Williams vs Onyeka Okongwu: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Williams plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 99.2 projected fantasy points to 99.1 for Jalen Williams. Over the season, Onyeka Okongwu leads in both formats: 33.1 fantasy points a game to 33.0, and 40th against 81st 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #62
- 33.0 FP/G, slot 6.02, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #81
- -0.8 z, slot 7.09, $11
- Points leagues
- #61
- 33.1 FP/G, slot 6.01, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +0.9 z, slot 4.04, $20
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu. 33.1 fantasy points per game against 33.0, 61st on our board to 62nd.
9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, +0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (40th to 81st).
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Williams produces more: 41.8 fantasy points to 38.5, on 28.5 minutes a night against 30.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jalen Williams plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 99.2 projected fantasy points to 99.1 for Jalen Williams.
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 Williams | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.0 | 33.1 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 16.7 | 14.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.3 | 3.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 47.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.6% | 76.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 33 | 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 Williams | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.8 | 38.5 |
| Points | 21.2 | 17.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.0 | 8.7 |
| Assists | 6.7 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.0 |
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 Williams | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.0 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Total | -0.8 | +0.9 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Onyeka Okongwu stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Jalen Williams | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#100) | +1.1 (#31) |
| REB | -0.5 (#72) | +0.1 (#55) |
| AST | -1.7 (#130) | +1.0 (#35) |
| STL | -1.3 (#109) | +0.8 (#41) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#63) | +0.1 (#58) |
| 3PM | +0.0 (#61) | +0.7 (#43) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#78) | +1.0 (#41) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#100) | +1.1 (#36) |
| TO | -0.9 (#78) | +0.7 (#52) |
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 Williams: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Onyeka Okongwu: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jalen Williams: 29.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.0 on the board.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 22.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Williams playing tonight? · Is Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Williams, Onyeka Okongwu
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Williams or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Onyeka Okongwu. 33.1 fantasy points per game against 33.0, 61st on our board to 62nd. 9-cat leagues: Onyeka Okongwu again, +0.9 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (40th to 81st).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Williams or Onyeka Okongwu?
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Onyeka Okongwu in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Williams or Onyeka Okongwu?
Jalen Williams plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Onyeka Okongwu 3. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 99.2 projected fantasy points to 99.1 for Jalen Williams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number