Anthony Davis or Jalen Johnson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 2nd and 3rd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- FP/G
- 45.0
- 9-cat
- #13
- Last 1 FP
- 60.4
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 48.0
- 9-cat
- #19
- Last 1 FP
- 43.8
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Johnson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.0 fantasy points to 45.0.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis instead, 6.9 category value for the week to 5.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back and Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Anthony Davis's minutes are up: 33.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board.
Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 27.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 34.7 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.
Advertisement
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Anthony Davis | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.8 (last 1) | 27.8 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 31.5 | 34.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 21.3 | 24.6 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 90.1 | 95.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 6.9 | 5.8 |
Schedule: Anthony Davis Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. Jalen Johnson Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 42.4 | 44.7 |
| Rebounds | 22.2 | 21.0 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 15.5 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Blocks | 3.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| Turnovers | 4.2 | 6.6 |
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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.0 fantasy points per game to 45.0.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis instead, 13th overall against 19th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Anthony Davis vs Jalen Johnson: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Jalen Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.0 | 48.0 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 34.7 |
| PointsPTS | 21.2 | 22.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.1 | 10.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 7.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.9% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.9% | 79.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 3.3 |
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 Anthony Davis playing tonight? · Is Jalen Johnson playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Anthony Davis or Jalen Johnson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Johnson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.0 fantasy points to 45.0. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis instead, 6.9 category value for the week to 5.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back and Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Anthony Davis's minutes are up: 33.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board. Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 27.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 34.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Anthony Davis or Jalen Johnson?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.0 fantasy points per game to 45.0. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis instead, 13th overall against 19th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Jalen Johnson?
Anthony Davis is ahead in 4 (rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Jalen Johnson in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number