DeMar DeRozan or Jaden McDaniels? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 13th and 15th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start DeMar DeRozan. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.6 fantasy points to 29.2.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.7 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there.
DeMar DeRozan's minutes are down: 28.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.0 on the board.
Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.5 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 | DeMar DeRozan | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 28.2 (last 1) | 29.3 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 31.0 | 31.5 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 11.5 | 15.4 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 29.6 | 29.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.3 | 0.7 |
Schedule: DeMar DeRozan Thu @OKC, Sat NOP. Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | DeMar DeRozan | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 18.1 | 15.0 |
| Rebounds | 2.9 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.7 |
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: DeMar DeRozan, 29.6 fantasy points per game to 29.2.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 43rd overall against 105th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | DeMar DeRozan | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.6 | 29.2 |
| Minutes | 31.0 | 31.5 |
| PointsPTS | 18.1 | 15.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 4.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.9% | 52.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 84.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.7 |
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 DeMar DeRozan playing tonight? · Is Jaden McDaniels playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start DeMar DeRozan or Jaden McDaniels in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start DeMar DeRozan. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.6 fantasy points to 29.2. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.7 category value for the week to -1.3, because his category mix is worth more there. DeMar DeRozan's minutes are down: 28.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.0 on the board. Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board.
Who is better for the season, DeMar DeRozan or Jaden McDaniels?
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan, 29.6 fantasy points per game to 29.2. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 43rd overall against 105th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, DeMar DeRozan or Jaden McDaniels?
DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 4 (points, assists, free throw percentage, turnovers); Jaden McDaniels in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, threes, field goal percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number