Mark Williams vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams. Over the season, Mark Williams leads in both formats: 27.1 fantasy points a game to 27.0, and 58th against 83rd 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #113
- 27.1 FP/G, slot 10.05, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #58
- -0.0 z, slot 5.10, $15
Out (Shoulder)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #114
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.06, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.8 z, slot 7.11, $11
The call
Points leagues: Mark Williams. 27.1 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 113th on our board to 114th.
9-cat leagues: Mark Williams again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (58th to 83rd).
Category by category, Mark Williams is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Mark Williams produces more: 41.3 fantasy points to 33.0, on 23.6 minutes a night against 29.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams.
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 | Mark Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.1 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 23.6 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.4% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.1% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 60 | 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 | Mark Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.3 | 33.0 |
| Points | 17.8 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 12.1 | 9.0 |
| Assists | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.5 |
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 | Mark Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.6 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.9 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.0 | -0.8 |
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 field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Wendell Carter Jr..
| Punt | Mark Williams | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#40) | -0.2 (#66) |
| REB | -1.2 (#101) | -1.7 (#122) |
| AST | +1.3 (#30) | +0.1 (#53) |
| STL | +0.2 (#58) | -0.2 (#68) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#78) | -0.9 (#83) |
| 3PM | +1.6 (#31) | -0.1 (#67) |
| FG% | -2.4 (#133) | -1.8 (#112) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#54) | -1.0 (#91) |
| TO | -1.2 (#87) | -1.8 (#103) |
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)
- Mark Williams: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW), listed Out.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Mark Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Mark Williams: 21.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.1 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 33.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 27.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Mark Williams playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Mark Williams
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Mark Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Mark Williams. 27.1 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 113th on our board to 114th. 9-cat leagues: Mark Williams again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (58th to 83rd).
Who wins more categories, Mark Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, Mark Williams is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Mark Williams or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Mark Williams plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Wendell Carter Jr.: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Mark Williams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number