Bilal Coulibaly or Kel'el Ware? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 23rd and 28th 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
- 26.9
- 9-cat
- #61
- Last 1 FP
- 14.1
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 Kel'el Ware. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 26.9 fantasy points to 26.7.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.4 category value for the week to -2.5.
Bilal Coulibaly has 1 back-to-back and Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Bilal Coulibaly's minutes are up: 29.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 26.4 on the board.
Kel'el Ware's minutes are down: 13.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 21.6 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.
Bilal Coulibaly rookie cardsKel'el Ware rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Bilal Coulibaly | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 29.0 (last 1) | 13.7 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 26.4 | 21.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 7.5 | 15.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 53.4 | 53.7 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -2.5 | -0.4 |
Schedule: Bilal Coulibaly Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. Kel'el Ware Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Bilal Coulibaly | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 23.4 | 21.6 |
| Rebounds | 8.4 | 17.3 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 1.5 |
| Steals | 3.0 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 1.6 |
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: Kel'el Ware, 26.9 fantasy points per game to 26.7.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, 61st overall against 101st.
Bilal Coulibaly vs Kel'el Ware: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Bilal Coulibaly | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.7 | 26.9 |
| Minutes | 26.4 | 21.6 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 10.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 8.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.5 | 0.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.5% | 52.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.1% | 68.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 0.8 |
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 Bilal Coulibaly playing tonight? · Is Kel'el Ware playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Bilal Coulibaly or Kel'el Ware in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kel'el Ware. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 26.9 fantasy points to 26.7. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.4 category value for the week to -2.5. Bilal Coulibaly has 1 back-to-back and Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Bilal Coulibaly's minutes are up: 29.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 26.4 on the board. Kel'el Ware's minutes are down: 13.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Bilal Coulibaly or Kel'el Ware?
Points leagues: Kel'el Ware, 26.9 fantasy points per game to 26.7. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, 61st overall against 101st.
Who wins more categories, Bilal Coulibaly or Kel'el Ware?
Bilal Coulibaly is ahead in 3 (points, assists, steals); Kel'el Ware in 4 (rebounds, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number