Cooper Flagg or Jalen Brunson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 4th and 8th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 39.8
- 9-cat
- #35
- Last 10 FP
- 45.3
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 40.5
- 9-cat
- #49
- Last 10 FP
- 39.7
Day to day (Rest)
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 40.5 fantasy points to 39.8.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 3.8 category value for the week to 1.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Cooper Flagg has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Cooper Flagg's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board.
Jalen Brunson played 34.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 35.0 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 | Cooper Flagg | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 29.3 (last 5) | 34.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 33.5 | 35.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 25.3 | 18.6 |
| Injury | None listed | Day to day (Rest) |
| Projected fantasy points | 119.5 | 121.5 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 3.8 | 1.8 |
Schedule: Cooper Flagg Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS. Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Cooper Flagg | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 63.1 | 78.1 |
| Rebounds | 20.0 | 10.0 |
| Assists | 13.5 | 20.4 |
| Steals | 3.6 | 2.3 |
| Blocks | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 3.1 | 7.9 |
| Turnovers | 6.9 | 7.1 |
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: Jalen Brunson, 40.5 fantasy points per game to 39.8.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 35th overall against 49th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Cooper Flagg | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.8 | 40.5 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 35.0 |
| PointsPTS | 21.0 | 26.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.5 | 6.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.8% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.7% | 84.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 2.4 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Cooper Flagg or Jalen Brunson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 40.5 fantasy points to 39.8. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 3.8 category value for the week to 1.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Cooper Flagg has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Cooper Flagg's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board. Jalen Brunson played 34.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 35.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Cooper Flagg or Jalen Brunson?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 40.5 fantasy points per game to 39.8. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 35th overall against 49th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cooper Flagg or Jalen Brunson?
Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Jalen Brunson in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number