Michael Porter Jr. vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker: who to start in Week 1
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 116.8 projected fantasy points to 103.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Over the season, Michael Porter Jr. leads in points leagues (38.9 fantasy points a game to 34.6) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 9-cat leagues (25th against 27th). 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, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #34
- 38.9 FP/G, slot 3.10, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #27
- +2.2 z, slot 3.03, $27
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #51
- 34.6 FP/G, slot 5.03, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #25
- +2.3 z, slot 3.01, $28
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr.. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 34.6, 34th on our board to 51st.
9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (25th to 27th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Michael Porter Jr. is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Michael Porter Jr. produces more: 43.0 fantasy points to 37.5, on 32.6 minutes a night against 33.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 116.8 projected fantasy points to 103.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
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 | Michael Porter Jr. | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.9 | 34.6 |
| Minutes | 32.6 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 24.3 | 21.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.1 | 3.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.4% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.8% | 87.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 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 | Michael Porter Jr. | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.0 | 37.5 |
| Points | 26.9 | 23.3 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 3.2 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 2.2 |
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 | Michael Porter Jr. | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.4 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.9 | +1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| Total | +2.2 | +2.3 |
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 assists, steals, blocks, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Michael Porter Jr..
| Punt | Michael Porter Jr. | Nickeil Alexander-Walker |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.7 (#41) | +1.3 (#29) |
| REB | +1.7 (#27) | +3.5 (#13) |
| AST | +2.4 (#19) | +2.1 (#23) |
| STL | +1.7 (#26) | +1.4 (#29) |
| BLK | +3.1 (#18) | +2.6 (#21) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#58) | +0.4 (#52) |
| FG% | +3.1 (#20) | +3.2 (#18) |
| FT% | +1.3 (#33) | +1.0 (#39) |
| TO | +3.0 (#22) | +2.6 (#29) |
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)
- Michael Porter Jr.: 3 games (Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND), 1 back-to-back.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Michael Porter Jr.: 40.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 38.9 on the board.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 44.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
- Michael Porter Jr. vs Austin Reaves
- Michael Porter Jr. vs Cooper Flagg
- Michael Porter Jr. vs Jalen Duren
- Michael Porter Jr. vs Stephen Curry
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs De'Aaron Fox
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs Dyson Daniels
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs Jalen Duren
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs Karl-Anthony Towns
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight? · Is Nickeil Alexander-Walker playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Michael Porter Jr. or Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr.. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 34.6, 34th on our board to 51st. 9-cat leagues: Nickeil Alexander-Walker instead, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (25th to 27th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Michael Porter Jr. or Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
Category by category, Michael Porter Jr. is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Michael Porter Jr. or Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
Michael Porter Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Nickeil Alexander-Walker 3. For that week alone, start Michael Porter Jr.: 116.8 projected fantasy points to 103.7 for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number