Brandon Ingram or Michael Porter Jr.? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 4th and 6th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 23, 3:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 38.9
- 9-cat
- #27
- Last 1 FP
- 40.9
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Brandon Ingram is listed Out (Heel) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Michael Porter Jr.. Michael Porter Jr. has 2 games counted to 0 for Brandon Ingram, for 77.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 4.5 category value for the week to 0.0.
Michael Porter Jr. has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Brandon Ingram played 33.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 33.8 on the board.
Michael Porter Jr. played 34.2 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.6 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Brandon Ingram | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.4 (last 5) | 34.2 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 33.8 | 32.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.6 | 22.1 |
| Injury | Out (Heel) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 77.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 4.5 |
Schedule: Brandon Ingram Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC. Michael Porter Jr. Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Brandon Ingram | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 48.6 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 5.8 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 7.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 4.9 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr., 38.9 fantasy points per game to 35.7.
9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 27th overall against 72nd.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Brandon Ingram | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.7 | 38.9 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 32.6 |
| PointsPTS | 21.5 | 24.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 3.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 46.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.0% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.5 |
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 Brandon Ingram playing tonight? · Is Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Brandon Ingram or Michael Porter Jr. in Week 1?
Brandon Ingram is listed Out (Heel) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Michael Porter Jr.. Michael Porter Jr. has 2 games counted to 0 for Brandon Ingram, for 77.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 4.5 category value for the week to 0.0. Michael Porter Jr. has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Brandon Ingram played 33.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 33.8 on the board. Michael Porter Jr. played 34.2 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Brandon Ingram or Michael Porter Jr.?
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr., 38.9 fantasy points per game to 35.7. 9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 27th overall against 72nd.
Who wins more categories, Brandon Ingram or Michael Porter Jr.?
Brandon Ingram is ahead in 3 (assists, blocks, field goal percentage); Michael Porter Jr. in 5 (points, rebounds, steals, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 3:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number