Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 5th and 8th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 39.3
- 9-cat
- #29
- Last 1 FP
- 36.0
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.8 fantasy points to 39.3.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, 3.5 category value for the week to 0.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Amen Thompson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Amen Thompson's minutes are down: 33.4 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 37.1 on the board.
Jalen Brunson played 34.1 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.9 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Amen Thompson rookie cardsJalen Brunson rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.4 (last 1) | 34.1 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 37.1 | 34.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 12.9 | 20.1 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 78.6 | 79.6 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 3.5 | 0.7 |
Schedule: Amen Thompson Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL. Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 36.2 | 51.5 |
| Rebounds | 15.8 | 6.9 |
| Assists | 10.5 | 13.1 |
| Steals | 3.0 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 5.1 |
| Turnovers | 4.6 | 4.7 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 39.8 fantasy points per game to 39.3.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, 29th overall against 52nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Amen Thompson vs Jalen Brunson: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Amen Thompson | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 39.8 |
| Minutes | 37.1 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.1 | 25.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.9 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 6.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.2% | 45.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.8% | 85.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 2.3 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.8 fantasy points to 39.3. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, 3.5 category value for the week to 0.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Amen Thompson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Amen Thompson's minutes are down: 33.4 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 37.1 on the board. Jalen Brunson played 34.1 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 39.8 fantasy points per game to 39.3. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson instead, 29th overall against 52nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Jalen Brunson?
Amen Thompson is ahead in 4 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage); Jalen Brunson in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number