Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 18th and 19th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 28.6
- 9-cat
- #45
- Last 1 FP
- 12.1
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Mikal Bridges. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 28.6 fantasy points to 28.1.
9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, 1.2 category value for the week to -5.4.
Bennedict Mathurin has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Bennedict Mathurin's minutes are down: 17.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board.
Mikal Bridges played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.8 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.
Bennedict Mathurin rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 17.9 (last 1) | 33.0 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 29.3 | 32.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 14.1 | 8.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 56.2 | 57.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -5.4 | 1.2 |
Schedule: Bennedict Mathurin Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN. Mikal Bridges Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 34.3 | 27.5 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 3.6 |
| Turnovers | 4.1 | 1.9 |
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: Mikal Bridges, 28.6 fantasy points per game to 28.1.
9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, 45th overall against 160th.
Bennedict Mathurin vs Mikal Bridges: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Bennedict Mathurin | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.1 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 29.3 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 17.2 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.0% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.7% | 82.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 0.9 |
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 Bennedict Mathurin playing tonight? · Is Mikal Bridges playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Mikal Bridges. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 28.6 fantasy points to 28.1. 9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, 1.2 category value for the week to -5.4. Bennedict Mathurin has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Bennedict Mathurin's minutes are down: 17.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board. Mikal Bridges played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges?
Points leagues: Mikal Bridges, 28.6 fantasy points per game to 28.1. 9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges again, 45th overall against 160th.
Who wins more categories, Bennedict Mathurin or Mikal Bridges?
Bennedict Mathurin is ahead in 3 (points, rebounds, free throw percentage); Mikal Bridges in 6 (assists, steals, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number