Andrew Nembhard or Jalen Suggs? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 16th and 18th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 12:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Andrew Nembhard. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.4 fantasy points to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 0.4 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there.
Andrew Nembhard played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.5 on the board.
Jalen Suggs's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.2 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Andrew Nembhard | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.0 (last 2) | 33.1 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 31.5 | 28.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 11.5 | 10.9 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 32.4 | 31.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.3 | 0.4 |
Schedule: Andrew Nembhard Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN. Jalen Suggs Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Andrew Nembhard | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 17.0 | 13.3 |
| Rebounds | 2.7 | 3.9 |
| Assists | 7.6 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.6 |
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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Andrew Nembhard, 32.4 fantasy points per game to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 49th overall against 104th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Andrew Nembhard | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 31.1 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 28.2 |
| PointsPTS | 17.0 | 13.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 7.6 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.0% | 43.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.0% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 2.6 |
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 Andrew Nembhard playing tonight? · Is Jalen Suggs playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Andrew Nembhard or Jalen Suggs in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Andrew Nembhard. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.4 fantasy points to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 0.4 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there. Andrew Nembhard played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.5 on the board. Jalen Suggs's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Andrew Nembhard or Jalen Suggs?
Points leagues: Andrew Nembhard, 32.4 fantasy points per game to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 49th overall against 104th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Andrew Nembhard or Jalen Suggs?
Andrew Nembhard is ahead in 5 (points, assists, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Jalen Suggs in 4 (rebounds, steals, blocks, threes), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number