Amen Thompson or LaMelo Ball? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 5th and 12th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 39.5
- 9-cat
- #28
- Last 10 FP
- 43.3
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Amen Thompson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.5 fantasy points to 38.1.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, 5.5 category value for the week to 2.7.
Amen Thompson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Amen Thompson played 38.1 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 37.4 on the board.
LaMelo Ball's minutes are up: 31.9 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.0 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Amen Thompson | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 38.1 (last 5) | 31.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 37.4 | 28.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 14.0 | 22.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 118.5 | 114.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 5.5 | 2.7 |
Schedule: Amen Thompson Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL. LaMelo Ball Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Amen Thompson | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 54.8 | 60.2 |
| Rebounds | 23.3 | 14.5 |
| Assists | 15.9 | 21.4 |
| Steals | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 11.3 |
| Turnovers | 7.2 | 8.4 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Amen Thompson, 39.5 fantasy points per game to 38.1.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, 28th overall against 40th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Amen Thompson | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.5 | 38.1 |
| Minutes | 37.4 | 28.0 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 20.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.8 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 5.3 | 7.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 3.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.4% | 40.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.9% | 89.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.8 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Amen Thompson or LaMelo Ball in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Amen Thompson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.5 fantasy points to 38.1. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, 5.5 category value for the week to 2.7. Amen Thompson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Amen Thompson played 38.1 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 37.4 on the board. LaMelo Ball's minutes are up: 31.9 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Amen Thompson or LaMelo Ball?
Points leagues: Amen Thompson, 39.5 fantasy points per game to 38.1. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, 28th overall against 40th.
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or LaMelo Ball?
Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); LaMelo Ball in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number