Jaren Jackson Jr. vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 2
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jaren Jackson Jr.. Over the season, Jaren Jackson Jr. leads in points leagues (32.9 fantasy points a game to 27.7) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 9-cat leagues (60th against 61st). 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #59
- 32.9 FP/G, slot 5.11, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.1 z, slot 6.01, $15
Out (Knee)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #106
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.10, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #60
- -0.1 z, slot 5.12, $15
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 32.9 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 59th on our board to 106th.
9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (60th to 61st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jaren Jackson Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (REB, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jaren Jackson Jr. produces more: 40.3 fantasy points to 33.8, on 29.4 minutes a night against 29.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jaren Jackson 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 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.9 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 29.4 | 29.6 |
| PointsPTS | 18.7 | 12.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 7.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 55.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.3% | 81.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 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 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.3 | 33.8 |
| Points | 22.9 | 15.4 |
| Rebounds | 6.8 | 9.3 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.9 | 1.6 |
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 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.5 | +0.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | +0.7 |
| Total | -0.1 | -0.1 |
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 rebounds, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jaren Jackson Jr..
| Punt | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.5 (#78) | +0.5 (#48) |
| REB | -0.1 (#61) | -1.1 (#96) |
| AST | +0.7 (#41) | +0.8 (#37) |
| STL | +0.1 (#54) | +0.5 (#45) |
| BLK | -1.7 (#123) | -0.3 (#72) |
| 3PM | -0.2 (#63) | +0.6 (#42) |
| FG% | -0.2 (#67) | -1.3 (#98) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#62) | -0.2 (#65) |
| TO | +0.5 (#51) | -0.9 (#80) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @TOR, Sun BOS).
Recent games
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 32.9 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 33.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 27.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr.. 32.9 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 59th on our board to 106th. 9-cat leagues: Wendell Carter Jr. instead, -0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (60th to 61st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Jaren Jackson Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (REB, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 83.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jaren Jackson Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number