Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 5th and 10th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 36.3
- 9-cat
- #18
- Last 10 FP
- 35.1
Day to day (Quadriceps)
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Jimmy Butler is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Chet Holmgren. Chet Holmgren has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 109.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren again, 9.2 category value for the week to 0.0.
Chet Holmgren's minutes are down: 24.6 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.9 on the board.
Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 0 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 24.6 (last 5) | 27.1 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 28.9 | 31.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.2 | 18.3 |
| Injury | Day to day (Quadriceps) | Out (Knee) |
| Projected fantasy points | 109.0 | 0.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 9.2 | 0.0 |
Schedule: Chet Holmgren Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC. Jimmy Butler Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 51.3 | 0.0 |
| Rebounds | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 5.7 | 0.0 |
| Threes | 3.8 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 4.7 | 0.0 |
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: Jimmy Butler, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.3.
9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren instead, 18th overall against 20th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 36.3 | 37.4 |
| Minutes | 28.9 | 31.1 |
| PointsPTS | 17.1 | 20.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.9 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.7 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 55.7% | 51.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.2% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.6 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Advertisement
Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler in Week 1?
Jimmy Butler is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Chet Holmgren. Chet Holmgren has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 109.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren again, 9.2 category value for the week to 0.0. Chet Holmgren's minutes are down: 24.6 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.9 on the board. Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler?
Points leagues: Jimmy Butler, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.3. 9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren instead, 18th overall against 20th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler?
Chet Holmgren is ahead in 4 (rebounds, blocks, threes, field goal percentage); Jimmy Butler in 4 (points, assists, steals, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number