Ausar Thompson or Brandin Podziemski? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 19th and 22nd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 12:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- FP/G
- 28.3
- 9-cat
- #85
- Last 2 FP
- 24.9
Day to day (Undisclosed)
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
- FP/G
- 28.0
- 9-cat
- #106
- Last 1 FP
- 32.9
Out (Back)
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Brandin Podziemski is listed Out (Back) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ausar Thompson. Ausar Thompson has 1 game counted to 0 for Brandin Podziemski, for 28.3 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.0, because his category mix is worth more there.
Ausar Thompson played 26.3 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 26.0 on the board.
Brandin Podziemski's minutes are up: 32.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 28.7 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.
Ausar Thompson rookie cardsBrandin Podziemski rookie cards
Advertisement
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Ausar Thompson | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 0 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 26.3 (last 2) | 32.9 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 26.0 | 28.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 8.9 | 18.6 |
| Injury | Day to day (Undisclosed) | Out (Back) |
| Projected fantasy points | 28.3 | 0.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.0 | 0.0 |
Schedule: Ausar Thompson Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI. Brandin Podziemski Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Ausar Thompson | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 9.6 | 0.0 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 0.0 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Threes | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 0.0 |
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: Ausar Thompson, 28.3 fantasy points per game to 28.0.
9-cat leagues: Ausar Thompson again, 85th overall against 106th.
Ausar Thompson vs Brandin Podziemski: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Ausar Thompson | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.3 | 28.0 |
| Minutes | 26.0 | 28.7 |
| PointsPTS | 9.6 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.1 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 60.1% | 80.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.7 |
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 Ausar Thompson playing tonight? · Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Ausar Thompson or Brandin Podziemski in Week 1?
Brandin Podziemski is listed Out (Back) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ausar Thompson. Ausar Thompson has 1 game counted to 0 for Brandin Podziemski, for 28.3 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.0, because his category mix is worth more there. Ausar Thompson played 26.3 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 26.0 on the board. Brandin Podziemski's minutes are up: 32.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Ausar Thompson or Brandin Podziemski?
Points leagues: Ausar Thompson, 28.3 fantasy points per game to 28.0. 9-cat leagues: Ausar Thompson again, 85th overall against 106th.
Who wins more categories, Ausar Thompson or Brandin Podziemski?
Ausar Thompson is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Brandin Podziemski in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number