Derrick White or Ja Morant? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 8th and 13th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ja Morant. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 35.8 fantasy points to 35.3.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, 3.3 category value for the week to -4.9, because his category mix is worth more there.
Derrick White's minutes are down: 31.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 34.1 on the board.
Ja Morant played 30.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 28.4 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 | Derrick White | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 31.3 (last 5) | 30.3 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 34.1 | 28.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 9.7 | 19.9 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 70.6 | 71.5 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 3.3 | -4.9 |
Schedule: Derrick White Tue @DET, Fri NYK. Ja Morant Wed PHX, Fri @SAC.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Derrick White | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 32.9 | 38.9 |
| Rebounds | 8.8 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 10.8 | 16.1 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Blocks | 2.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 5.4 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 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: Ja Morant, 35.8 fantasy points per game to 35.3.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, 29th overall against 147th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Derrick White | Ja Morant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.3 | 35.8 |
| Minutes | 34.1 | 28.4 |
| PointsPTS | 16.5 | 19.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.4 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 5.4 | 8.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 1.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 39.4% | 41.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 90.2% | 89.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 3.5 |
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 Derrick White or Ja Morant in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ja Morant. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 35.8 fantasy points to 35.3. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, 3.3 category value for the week to -4.9, because his category mix is worth more there. Derrick White's minutes are down: 31.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 34.1 on the board. Ja Morant played 30.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 28.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Derrick White or Ja Morant?
Points leagues: Ja Morant, 35.8 fantasy points per game to 35.3. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, 29th overall against 147th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or Ja Morant?
Derrick White is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, threes, turnovers); Ja Morant in 4 (points, assists, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number