Jordan Poole vs Pelle Larsson: who to start in Week 1
Jordan Poole plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Pelle Larsson 3. For that week alone, start Jordan Poole: 63.7 projected fantasy points to 63.6 for Pelle Larsson. Over the season, Jordan Poole leads in points leagues (21.2 fantasy points a game to 21.2) and Pelle Larsson in 9-cat leagues (214th against 248th). 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
- #185
- 21.2 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #248
- -4.7 z, slot 21.08
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #186
- 21.2 FP/G, slot 16.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #214
- -4.0 z, slot 18.10
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jordan Poole. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 185th on our board to 186th.
9-cat leagues: Pelle Larsson instead, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.7 (214th to 248th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jordan Poole is ahead in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Pelle Larsson in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jordan Poole produces more: 33.1 fantasy points to 28.9, on 23.1 minutes a night against 26.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jordan Poole plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Pelle Larsson 3. For that week alone, start Jordan Poole: 63.7 projected fantasy points to 63.6 for Pelle Larsson.
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 | Jordan Poole | Pelle Larsson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.2 | 21.2 |
| Minutes | 23.1 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 12.8 | 10.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.2 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 35.3% | 46.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.6% | 81.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 39 | 70 |
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 | Jordan Poole | Pelle Larsson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.1 | 28.9 |
| Points | 19.9 | 14.5 |
| Rebounds | 3.1 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 3.5 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 1.8 |
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 | Jordan Poole | Pelle Larsson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.7 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -2.4 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.9 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +0.7 |
| Total | -4.7 | -4.0 |
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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jordan Poole.
| Punt | Jordan Poole | Pelle Larsson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -4.1 (#281) | -3.0 (#217) |
| REB | -3.1 (#198) | -3.1 (#200) |
| AST | -4.4 (#267) | -3.9 (#238) |
| STL | -3.9 (#229) | -3.3 (#201) |
| BLK | -4.3 (#246) | -3.4 (#189) |
| 3PM | -5.4 (#301) | -3.2 (#192) |
| FG% | -2.3 (#137) | -4.2 (#213) |
| FT% | -5.6 (#290) | -4.2 (#226) |
| TO | -5.1 (#216) | -4.8 (#202) |
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)
- Jordan Poole: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
- Pelle Larsson: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jordan Poole: 19.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.2 on the board.
- Pelle Larsson: 15.3 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jordan Poole playing tonight? · Is Pelle Larsson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jordan Poole, Pelle Larsson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jordan Poole or Pelle Larsson?
Points leagues: Jordan Poole. 21.2 fantasy points per game against 21.2, 185th on our board to 186th. 9-cat leagues: Pelle Larsson instead, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.7 (214th to 248th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jordan Poole or Pelle Larsson?
Category by category, Jordan Poole is ahead in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Pelle Larsson in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jordan Poole or Pelle Larsson?
Jordan Poole plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Pelle Larsson 3. For that week alone, start Jordan Poole: 63.7 projected fantasy points to 63.6 for Pelle Larsson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number