RJ Barrett vs VJ Edgecombe: who to start in Week 1
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), VJ Edgecombe 4. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 128.3 projected fantasy points to 95.4 for RJ Barrett. Over the season, VJ Edgecombe leads in both formats: 32.1 fantasy points a game to 31.8, and 60th against 161st 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, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #70
- 31.8 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #161
- -2.7 z, slot 14.05
- Points leagues
- #69
- 32.1 FP/G, slot 6.09, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #60
- -0.2 z, slot 5.12, $14
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: VJ Edgecombe. 32.1 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 69th on our board to 70th.
9-cat leagues: VJ Edgecombe again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (60th to 161st).
Category by category, RJ Barrett is ahead in 3 (PTS, FG% and TO) and VJ Edgecombe in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, RJ Barrett produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 33.0, on 30.0 minutes a night against 35.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), VJ Edgecombe 4. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 128.3 projected fantasy points to 95.4 for RJ Barrett.
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 | RJ Barrett | VJ Edgecombe |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.8 | 32.1 |
| Minutes | 30.0 | 35.0 |
| PointsPTS | 19.3 | 15.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.6% | 43.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 70.4% | 80.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 75 |
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 | RJ Barrett | VJ Edgecombe |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.1 | 33.0 |
| Points | 23.2 | 16.0 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 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 | RJ Barrett | VJ Edgecombe |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | -0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | +1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.5 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.1 |
| Total | -2.7 | -0.2 |
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: VJ Edgecombe stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | RJ Barrett | VJ Edgecombe |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.3 (#234) | -0.1 (#65) |
| REB | -2.8 (#182) | -0.2 (#59) |
| AST | -2.7 (#183) | -0.5 (#72) |
| STL | -1.9 (#139) | -1.3 (#111) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#142) | +0.1 (#56) |
| 3PM | -2.7 (#172) | -0.5 (#78) |
| FG% | -3.6 (#187) | +0.9 (#42) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#111) | -0.3 (#73) |
| TO | -3.0 (#139) | -0.3 (#65) |
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)
- RJ Barrett: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
- VJ Edgecombe: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- RJ Barrett: 28.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 31.8 on the board.
- VJ Edgecombe: 17.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 32.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is RJ Barrett playing tonight? · Is VJ Edgecombe playing tonight?
Rookie cards: RJ Barrett, VJ Edgecombe
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, RJ Barrett or VJ Edgecombe?
Points leagues: VJ Edgecombe. 32.1 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 69th on our board to 70th. 9-cat leagues: VJ Edgecombe again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (60th to 161st).
Who wins more categories, RJ Barrett or VJ Edgecombe?
Category by category, RJ Barrett is ahead in 3 (PTS, FG% and TO) and VJ Edgecombe in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, RJ Barrett or VJ Edgecombe?
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), VJ Edgecombe 4. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 128.3 projected fantasy points to 95.4 for RJ Barrett.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number