VJ Edgecombe vs Wendell Carter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
VJ Edgecombe plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 129.3 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr.. Over the season, VJ Edgecombe leads in both formats: 32.3 fantasy points a game to 27.7, and 60th against 61st 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #63
- 32.3 FP/G, slot 6.03, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #60
- -0.0 z, slot 5.12, $15
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #107
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- -0.0 z, slot 6.01, $15
The call
Points leagues: VJ Edgecombe. 32.3 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 63rd on our board to 107th.
9-cat leagues: VJ Edgecombe again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (60th to 61st).
Category by category, VJ Edgecombe is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Wendell Carter Jr. produces more: 34.0 fantasy points to 33.4, on 29.4 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
VJ Edgecombe plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 129.3 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
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 | VJ Edgecombe | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.3 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 15.3 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.3% | 55.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.1% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | VJ Edgecombe | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.4 | 34.0 |
| Points | 15.8 | 15.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.5 |
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 | VJ Edgecombe | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | +0.3 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.0 | -0.0 |
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 points, assists, steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Wendell Carter Jr..
| Punt | VJ Edgecombe | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#57) | +0.5 (#44) |
| REB | -0.0 (#54) | -0.9 (#89) |
| AST | -0.3 (#65) | +0.8 (#38) |
| STL | -1.3 (#114) | +0.5 (#46) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#51) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | -0.3 (#68) | +0.5 (#46) |
| FG% | +1.1 (#39) | -1.3 (#94) |
| FT% | -0.0 (#64) | -0.2 (#69) |
| TO | -0.2 (#65) | -0.9 (#76) |
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)
- VJ Edgecombe: 4 games (Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET), 1 back-to-back.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- VJ Edgecombe: 26.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.3 on the board.
- Wendell Carter Jr.: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is VJ Edgecombe playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: VJ Edgecombe
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, VJ Edgecombe or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: VJ Edgecombe. 32.3 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 63rd on our board to 107th. 9-cat leagues: VJ Edgecombe again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (60th to 61st).
Who wins more categories, VJ Edgecombe or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Category by category, VJ Edgecombe is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Wendell Carter Jr. in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, VJ Edgecombe or Wendell Carter Jr.?
VJ Edgecombe plays 4 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Wendell Carter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start VJ Edgecombe: 129.3 projected fantasy points to 83.2 for Wendell Carter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number