Austin Reaves or Jalen Brunson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 6th and 7th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.3 fantasy points to 39.2.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 3.1 category value for the week to -0.0, because his category mix is worth more there.
Austin Reaves played 35.2 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.6 on the board.
Jalen Brunson played 35.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.1 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 | Austin Reaves | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 35.2 (last 2) | 35.7 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 34.6 | 35.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 12.3 | 18.2 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 39.2 | 39.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 3.1 | -0.0 |
Schedule: Austin Reaves Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA. Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Austin Reaves | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 23.5 | 25.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| Assists | 5.7 | 6.4 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 2.4 |
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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 39.3 fantasy points per game to 39.2.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 16th overall against 59th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Austin Reaves vs Jalen Brunson: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Austin Reaves | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.2 | 39.3 |
| Minutes | 34.6 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 23.5 | 25.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.7 | 6.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.7% | 45.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.9% | 83.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 2.4 |
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 Austin Reaves playing tonight? · Is Jalen Brunson playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Austin Reaves or Jalen Brunson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.3 fantasy points to 39.2. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 3.1 category value for the week to -0.0, because his category mix is worth more there. Austin Reaves played 35.2 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.6 on the board. Jalen Brunson played 35.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Austin Reaves or Jalen Brunson?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 39.3 fantasy points per game to 39.2. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 16th overall against 59th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Austin Reaves or Jalen Brunson?
Austin Reaves is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Jalen Brunson in 4 (points, assists, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number