Jalen Williams vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Jalen Williams plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Williams: 99.1 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, Jalen Williams leads in both formats: 33.0 fantasy points a game to 27.0, and 81st against 83rd 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
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #114
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.06, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.8 z, slot 7.11, $11
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 33.0 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 62nd on our board to 114th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (81st to 83rd).
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Williams produces more: 41.8 fantasy points to 33.0, on 28.5 minutes a night against 29.4. 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), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Williams: 99.1 projected fantasy points to 81.0 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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Jalen Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.0 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 16.7 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.3 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.6% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 33 | 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 Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.8 | 33.0 |
| Points | 21.2 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.0 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 6.7 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 1.5 |
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 | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.0 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +0.8 |
| 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 points, assists, steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Wendell Carter Jr..
| Punt | Jalen Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#100) | -0.2 (#66) |
| REB | -0.5 (#72) | -1.7 (#122) |
| AST | -1.7 (#130) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | -1.3 (#109) | -0.2 (#68) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#63) | -0.9 (#83) |
| 3PM | +0.0 (#61) | -0.1 (#67) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#78) | -1.8 (#112) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#100) | -1.0 (#91) |
| TO | -0.9 (#78) | -1.8 (#103) |
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).
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Jalen Williams: 29.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 33.0 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 33.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.0 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 Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Williams
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 33.0 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 62nd on our board to 114th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (81st to 83rd).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jalen Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Jalen Williams plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jalen Williams: 99.1 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number