Bam Adebayo or Joel Embiid? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 3rd and 6th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 44.5
- 9-cat
- #22
- Last 10 FP
- 48.0
Day to day (Rest)
4 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 Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid has 4 games counted to 3 for Bam Adebayo, for 177.9 projected fantasy points against 122.4.
9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 10.1 category value for the week to 4.6.
Bam Adebayo has 1 back-to-back and Joel Embiid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Bam Adebayo played 33.2 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.4 on the board.
Joel Embiid's minutes are up: 34.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.6 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Bam Adebayo | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 4 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.2 (last 5) | 34.3 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 32.4 | 31.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 14.1 | 20.3 |
| Injury | Day to day (Rest) | Day to day (Rest) |
| Projected fantasy points | 122.4 | 177.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 4.6 | 10.1 |
Schedule: Bam Adebayo Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA. Joel Embiid Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Bam Adebayo | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 60.3 | 107.5 |
| Rebounds | 30.1 | 30.8 |
| Assists | 9.5 | 15.8 |
| Steals | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 4.8 |
| Threes | 5.2 | 5.6 |
| Turnovers | 4.9 | 11.5 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Joel Embiid, 44.5 fantasy points per game to 40.8.
9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 22nd overall against 32nd.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Bam Adebayo | Joel Embiid |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.8 | 44.5 |
| Minutes | 32.4 | 31.6 |
| PointsPTS | 20.1 | 26.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.0 | 7.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.2 | 3.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.2% | 48.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.8% | 85.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.9 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Bam Adebayo or Joel Embiid in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid has 4 games counted to 3 for Bam Adebayo, for 177.9 projected fantasy points against 122.4. 9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 10.1 category value for the week to 4.6. Bam Adebayo has 1 back-to-back and Joel Embiid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Bam Adebayo played 33.2 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.4 on the board. Joel Embiid's minutes are up: 34.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Bam Adebayo or Joel Embiid?
Points leagues: Joel Embiid, 44.5 fantasy points per game to 40.8. 9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 22nd overall against 32nd.
Who wins more categories, Bam Adebayo or Joel Embiid?
Bam Adebayo is ahead in 4 (rebounds, steals, threes, turnovers); Joel Embiid in 5 (points, assists, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number