John Collins vs Kelly Oubre Jr.: who to start in Week 1
John Collins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kelly Oubre Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kelly Oubre Jr.: 78.0 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for John Collins. Over the season, Kelly Oubre Jr. leads in points leagues (26.0 fantasy points a game to 24.6) and John Collins in 9-cat leagues (104th against 106th). 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, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #140
- 24.6 FP/G, slot 12.08, $3
- 9-cat leagues
- #104
- -1.4 z, slot 9.08, $8
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #128
- 26.0 FP/G, slot 11.08, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #106
- -1.4 z, slot 9.10, $8
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kelly Oubre Jr.. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 128th on our board to 140th.
9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (104th to 106th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, John Collins is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Kelly Oubre Jr. in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, John Collins produces more: 32.8 fantasy points to 30.0, on 27.0 minutes a night against 31.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
John Collins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kelly Oubre Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kelly Oubre Jr.: 78.0 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for John Collins.
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 | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.6 | 26.0 |
| Minutes | 27.0 | 31.3 |
| PointsPTS | 13.1 | 13.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.7% | 46.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.6% | 76.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 50 |
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 | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 32.8 | 30.0 |
| Points | 17.4 | 15.5 |
| Rebounds | 7.1 | 5.6 |
| Assists | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 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 | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.3 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | -0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.9 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | +0.6 |
| Total | -1.4 | -1.4 |
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, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Kelly Oubre Jr..
| Punt | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#96) | -1.0 (#102) |
| REB | -1.3 (#106) | -1.2 (#97) |
| AST | -0.1 (#58) | -0.5 (#75) |
| STL | -1.1 (#95) | -2.4 (#160) |
| BLK | -1.7 (#117) | -1.2 (#97) |
| 3PM | -1.0 (#94) | -1.4 (#110) |
| FG% | -2.6 (#143) | -1.3 (#96) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#102) | -1.2 (#101) |
| TO | -2.2 (#116) | -2.1 (#112) |
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)
- John Collins: 3 games (Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI).
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
Recent games
- John Collins: 19.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 24.6 on the board.
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: 15.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is John Collins playing tonight? · Is Kelly Oubre Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: John Collins
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.?
Points leagues: Kelly Oubre Jr.. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 128th on our board to 140th. 9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (104th to 106th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.?
Category by category, John Collins is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Kelly Oubre Jr. in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.?
John Collins plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kelly Oubre Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kelly Oubre Jr.: 78.0 projected fantasy points to 73.7 for John Collins.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number