Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler III? 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 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 36.3
- 9-cat
- #14
- Last 1 FP
- 36.4
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Jimmy Butler III 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 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 72.7 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren again, 6.8 category value for the week to 0.0.
Chet Holmgren played 30.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.1 on the board.
Jimmy Butler III'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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 0 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.5 (last 1) | 27.1 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 29.1 | 31.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 9.4 | 18.3 |
| Injury | None listed | Out (Knee) |
| Projected fantasy points | 72.7 | 0.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 6.8 | 0.0 |
Schedule: Chet Holmgren Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC. Jimmy Butler III Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 33.8 | 0.0 |
| Rebounds | 17.6 | 0.0 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 4.1 | 0.0 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.0 | 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 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jimmy Butler III, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.3.
9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren instead, 14th overall against 18th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Chet Holmgren vs Jimmy Butler III: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Chet Holmgren | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 36.3 | 37.4 |
| Minutes | 29.1 | 31.1 |
| PointsPTS | 16.9 | 20.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.8 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 1.7 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 2.0 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.9% | 51.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.6% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.6 |
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 Chet Holmgren playing tonight? · Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler III in Week 1?
Jimmy Butler III 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 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 72.7 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren again, 6.8 category value for the week to 0.0. Chet Holmgren played 30.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.1 on the board. Jimmy Butler III'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 III?
Points leagues: Jimmy Butler III, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.3. 9-cat leagues: Chet Holmgren instead, 14th overall against 18th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Chet Holmgren or Jimmy Butler III?
Chet Holmgren is ahead in 5 (rebounds, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers); Jimmy Butler III in 4 (points, assists, steals, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number