Royce O'Neale vs Steven Adams: who to start in Week 1
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Royce O'Neale: 61.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Steven Adams. Over the season, Steven Adams leads in points leagues (20.6 fantasy points a game to 20.6) and Royce O'Neale in 9-cat leagues (152nd against 258th). 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #197
- 20.6 FP/G, slot 17.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #152
- -2.4 z, slot 13.08, $1
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #196
- 20.6 FP/G, slot 17.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #258
- -4.9 z, slot 22.06
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Steven Adams. 20.6 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 196th on our board to 197th.
9-cat leagues: Royce O'Neale instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (152nd to 258th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Royce O'Neale is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Steven Adams in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Steven Adams produces more: 33.8 fantasy points to 28.3, on 21.9 minutes a night against 26.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Royce O'Neale: 61.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Steven Adams.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Royce O'Neale | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.6 | 20.6 |
| Minutes | 26.1 | 21.9 |
| PointsPTS | 9.0 | 5.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.4 | 8.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.7% | 51.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 71.1% | 58.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 78 | 32 |
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 | Royce O'Neale | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.3 | 33.8 |
| Points | 12.3 | 9.4 |
| Rebounds | 6.0 | 13.5 |
| Assists | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Royce O'Neale | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -1.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | +1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -1.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.4 | -4.9 |
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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to Steven Adams.
| Punt | Royce O'Neale | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#117) | -3.1 (#222) |
| REB | -1.9 (#130) | -6.5 (#355) |
| AST | -1.8 (#138) | -3.9 (#234) |
| STL | -2.5 (#161) | -4.1 (#241) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#135) | -5.2 (#282) |
| 3PM | -3.3 (#195) | -3.1 (#186) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#106) | -6.1 (#297) |
| FT% | -2.4 (#151) | -3.2 (#183) |
| TO | -3.4 (#155) | -6.2 (#254) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Royce O'Neale: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
- Steven Adams: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Royce O'Neale: 10.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.6 on the board.
- Steven Adams: 10.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Royce O'Neale playing tonight? · Is Steven Adams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Royce O'Neale or Steven Adams?
Points leagues: Steven Adams. 20.6 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 196th on our board to 197th. 9-cat leagues: Royce O'Neale instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (152nd to 258th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Royce O'Neale or Steven Adams?
Category by category, Royce O'Neale is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Steven Adams in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Royce O'Neale or Steven Adams?
Royce O'Neale plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Royce O'Neale: 61.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Steven Adams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number