Jaren Jackson Jr. vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 1
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 106.3 projected fantasy points to 104.5 for Jaren Jackson Jr.. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in points leagues (35.4 fantasy points a game to 34.8) and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 9-cat leagues (42nd against 66th). 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #48
- 34.8 FP/G, slot 4.12, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #42
- +1.0 z, slot 4.06, $21
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #46
- 35.4 FP/G, slot 4.10, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #66
- -0.2 z, slot 6.06, $14
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.4 fantasy points per game against 34.8, 46th on our board to 48th.
9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. instead, +1.0 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (42nd to 66th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jaren Jackson Jr. is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 42.5 fantasy points to 41.4, on 30.0 minutes a night against 30.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 106.3 projected fantasy points to 104.5 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. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.8 | 35.4 |
| Minutes | 30.3 | 30.0 |
| PointsPTS | 19.4 | 21.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 59.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.5% | 74.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 62 |
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. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.4 | 42.5 |
| Points | 23.0 | 25.4 |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 6.6 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.9 | 2.5 |
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 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.1 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | +0.0 | +0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.8 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -1.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +2.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -1.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| Total | +1.0 | -0.2 |
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 blocks, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Zion Williamson.
| Punt | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.4 (#47) | -1.2 (#119) |
| REB | +0.8 (#40) | -0.5 (#78) |
| AST | +1.6 (#26) | -0.2 (#60) |
| STL | +0.8 (#39) | -0.9 (#89) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#90) | -0.1 (#62) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#41) | +1.2 (#36) |
| FG% | +0.9 (#43) | -3.6 (#184) |
| FT% | +0.9 (#40) | +1.0 (#38) |
| TO | +1.6 (#39) | -0.0 (#62) |
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)
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Jaren Jackson Jr. or Zion Williamson: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 37.3 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 34.8 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 37.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 35.4 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 Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.4 fantasy points per game against 34.8, 46th on our board to 48th. 9-cat leagues: Jaren Jackson Jr. instead, +1.0 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (42nd to 66th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Jaren Jackson Jr. is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jaren Jackson Jr. or Zion Williamson?
Jaren Jackson Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 106.3 projected fantasy points to 104.5 for Jaren Jackson Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number