Cooper Flagg or James Harden? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 3rd and 6th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 41.2
- 9-cat
- #29
- Last 1 FP
- 24.1
2 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Cooper Flagg is listed Out (Shoulder) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start James Harden. James Harden has 1 game counted to 0 for Cooper Flagg, for 41.2 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: James Harden again, 2.2 category value for the week to 0.0.
Cooper Flagg's minutes are down: 25.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board.
James Harden played 32.9 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.7 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.
Cooper Flagg rookie cardsJames Harden rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Cooper Flagg | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 25.0 (last 2) | 32.9 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 32.5 | 34.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.6 | 13.1 |
| Injury | Out (Shoulder) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 41.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 2.2 |
Schedule: Cooper Flagg Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS. James Harden Thu @PHI, Sat BKN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Cooper Flagg | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 4.7 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 7.8 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 3.7 |
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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: James Harden, 41.2 fantasy points per game to 40.3.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 24th overall against 29th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Cooper Flagg vs James Harden: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Cooper Flagg | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.3 | 41.2 |
| Minutes | 32.5 | 34.7 |
| PointsPTS | 21.3 | 23.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.5 | 4.7 |
| AssistsAST | 4.5 | 7.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 3.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 43.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.8% | 87.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 3.7 |
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 Cooper Flagg playing tonight? · Is James Harden playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Cooper Flagg or James Harden in Week 1?
Cooper Flagg is listed Out (Shoulder) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start James Harden. James Harden has 1 game counted to 0 for Cooper Flagg, for 41.2 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: James Harden again, 2.2 category value for the week to 0.0. Cooper Flagg's minutes are down: 25.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board. James Harden played 32.9 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Cooper Flagg or James Harden?
Points leagues: James Harden, 41.2 fantasy points per game to 40.3. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, 24th overall against 29th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cooper Flagg or James Harden?
Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); James Harden in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number