Paolo Banchero vs Scottie Barnes: who to start in Week 1
Paolo Banchero plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Scottie Barnes 3, an even 125.0 projected fantasy points each. Over the season, Paolo Banchero leads in points leagues (41.7 fantasy points a game to 41.7) and Scottie Barnes in 9-cat leagues (12th against 90th). 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
- #20
- 41.7 FP/G, slot 2.08, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $10
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #21
- 41.7 FP/G, slot 2.09, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #12
- +3.6 z, slot 1.12, $35
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.7 fantasy points per game against 41.7, 20th on our board to 21st.
9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (12th to 90th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Paolo Banchero is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM) and Scottie Barnes in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Scottie Barnes produces more: 45.4 fantasy points to 42.7, on 33.0 minutes a night against 35.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Paolo Banchero plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Scottie Barnes 3, an even 125.0 projected fantasy points each.
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 | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 41.7 | 41.7 |
| Minutes | 35.1 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 23.0 | 18.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.3 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.2% | 83.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 80 |
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 | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.7 | 45.4 |
| Points | 23.6 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 8.5 | 8.1 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 6.4 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 2.7 |
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 | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.1 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.1 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.9 | +1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | -0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.7 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.8 | -0.8 |
| Total | -1.1 | +3.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Scottie Barnes stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Paolo Banchero | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.2 (#175) | +3.2 (#8) |
| REB | -2.6 (#173) | +2.8 (#20) |
| AST | -2.1 (#153) | +2.4 (#20) |
| STL | -0.3 (#70) | +2.6 (#18) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#87) | +2.1 (#27) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#87) | +4.2 (#7) |
| FG% | -1.5 (#99) | +3.1 (#19) |
| FT% | -0.5 (#77) | +3.1 (#11) |
| TO | +0.7 (#51) | +4.4 (#15) |
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)
- Paolo Banchero: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
- Scottie Barnes: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- Paolo Banchero: 55.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.7 on the board.
- Scottie Barnes: 36.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight? · Is Scottie Barnes playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.7 fantasy points per game against 41.7, 20th on our board to 21st. 9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (12th to 90th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes?
Category by category, Paolo Banchero is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM) and Scottie Barnes in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Paolo Banchero or Scottie Barnes?
Paolo Banchero plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Scottie Barnes 3, an even 125.0 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number