Nikola Jokić vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Nikola Jokić in both formats: 62.1 fantasy points a game to 50.4 in points leagues, and 1st against 3rd in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #1
- 62.1 FP/G, slot 1.01, $59
- 9-cat leagues
- #1
- +10.6 z, slot 1.01, $73
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #4
- 50.4 FP/G, slot 1.04, $41
- 9-cat leagues
- #3
- +8.4 z, slot 1.03, $61
Game-time decision (Rest)
The call
Points leagues: draft Nikola Jokić. 62.1 fantasy points per game against 50.4, 1st on our board to 4th.
9-cat leagues: Nikola Jokić again, +10.6 in summed z-scores against +8.4 (1st to 3rd).
Category by category, Nikola Jokić is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 3 (PTS, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nikola Jokić produces more: 64.2 fantasy points to 54.7, on 34.8 minutes a night against 33.2. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Nikola Jokić plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 3. For that week alone, start Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 151.3 projected fantasy points to 124.3 for Nikola Jokić.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Nikola Jokić | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 62.1 | 50.4 |
| Minutes | 34.8 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 27.7 | 31.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 12.9 | 4.3 |
| AssistsAST | 10.7 | 6.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 56.9% | 55.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.1% | 87.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.7 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 65 | 68 |
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 | Nikola Jokić | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 64.2 | 54.7 |
| Points | 28.6 | 33.7 |
| Rebounds | 13.3 | 4.7 |
| Assists | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 3.9 | 2.4 |
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 | Nikola Jokić | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.9 | +2.5 |
| ReboundsREB | +3.1 | -0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +3.5 | +1.4 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | +1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.3 | +0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.3 | +2.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +2.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.4 | -0.4 |
| Total | +10.6 | +8.4 |
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 flips the 9-cat answer to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
| Punt | Nikola Jokić | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +8.6 (#1) | +5.8 (#3) |
| REB | +7.5 (#3) | +9.2 (#1) |
| AST | +7.0 (#2) | +6.7 (#4) |
| STL | +9.5 (#1) | +7.2 (#3) |
| BLK | +10.4 (#1) | +8.4 (#2) |
| 3PM | +10.3 (#1) | +8.0 (#3) |
| FG% | +8.4 (#2) | +6.6 (#5) |
| FT% | +9.8 (#1) | +5.9 (#4) |
| TO | +13.1 (#1) | +8.9 (#4) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Nikola Jokić: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC), listed GTD.
Recent games
- Nikola Jokić: 63.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 62.1 on the board.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 44.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 50.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Nikola Jokić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Nikola Jokić. 62.1 fantasy points per game against 50.4, 1st on our board to 4th. 9-cat leagues: Nikola Jokić again, +10.6 in summed z-scores against +8.4 (1st to 3rd).
Who wins more categories, Nikola Jokić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Category by category, Nikola Jokić is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 3 (PTS, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Nikola Jokić or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Nikola Jokić plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 3. For that week alone, start Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 151.3 projected fantasy points to 124.3 for Nikola Jokić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number