Jimmy Butler III vs Michael Porter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 119.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Michael Porter Jr. leads in both formats: 39.7 fantasy points a game to 37.4, and 16th against 17th 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, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #39
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.03, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #17
- +3.2 z, slot 2.05, $34
Out (Knee)
- Points leagues
- #29
- 39.7 FP/G, slot 3.05, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +3.2 z, slot 2.04, $34
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr.. 39.7 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 29th on our board to 39th.
9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, +3.2 in summed z-scores against +3.2 (16th to 17th).
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Michael Porter Jr. in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Michael Porter Jr. produces more: 43.8 fantasy points to 43.2, on 32.6 minutes a night against 31.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 119.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 39.7 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 32.6 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 24.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 2.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 3.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 47.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 85.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 38 | 52 |
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.2 | 43.8 |
| Points | 23.1 | 27.1 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 7.9 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 3.1 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 2.6 |
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +1.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.6 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | -0.6 |
| Total | +3.2 | +3.2 |
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 points, rebounds and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Jimmy Butler III.
| Punt | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#10) | +1.7 (#23) |
| REB | +3.3 (#15) | +2.7 (#20) |
| AST | +2.5 (#19) | +3.5 (#10) |
| STL | +2.0 (#25) | +2.3 (#21) |
| BLK | +4.1 (#12) | +4.3 (#8) |
| 3PM | +3.8 (#8) | +1.1 (#37) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#27) | +4.1 (#12) |
| FT% | +1.5 (#33) | +2.3 (#23) |
| TO | +2.8 (#27) | +3.9 (#17) |
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)
- Jimmy Butler III: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 3 games (Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND), 1 back-to-back.
Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 46.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.?
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr.. 39.7 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 29th on our board to 39th. 9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, +3.2 in summed z-scores against +3.2 (16th to 17th).
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.?
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Michael Porter Jr. in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.?
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 119.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number