Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 4th and 6th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- FP/G
- 43.8
- 9-cat
- #20
- Last 2 FP
- 42.6
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 Anthony Davis. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 43.8 fantasy points to 40.1.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 2.9 category value for the week to 2.6.
Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Anthony Davis played 33.1 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.5 on the board.
Karl-Anthony Towns played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 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.
Karl-Anthony Towns rookie cards
Advertisement
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Anthony Davis | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.1 (last 2) | 30.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 31.5 | 30.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.4 | 13.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 43.8 | 40.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 2.9 | 2.6 |
Schedule: Anthony Davis Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. Karl-Anthony Towns Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 20.5 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 11.0 | 11.8 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.7 |
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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Anthony Davis, 43.8 fantasy points per game to 40.1.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 20th overall against 22nd.
Anthony Davis vs Karl-Anthony Towns: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.8 | 40.1 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 20.5 | 20.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.0 | 11.8 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.8% | 51.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.0% | 83.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 2.7 |
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 Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Anthony Davis. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 43.8 fantasy points to 40.1. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 2.9 category value for the week to 2.6. Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Anthony Davis played 33.1 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.5 on the board. Karl-Anthony Towns played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Points leagues: Anthony Davis, 43.8 fantasy points per game to 40.1. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 20th overall against 22nd.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Anthony Davis is ahead in 4 (points, steals, blocks, turnovers); Karl-Anthony Towns in 5 (rebounds, assists, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number