Desmond Bane or Jalen Suggs? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 14th and 18th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 12:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Desmond Bane. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.0 fantasy points to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 0.4 category value for the week to 0.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Desmond Bane's minutes are down: 30.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 33.2 on the board.
Jalen Suggs's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.2 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.
Desmond Bane rookie cardsJalen Suggs rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Desmond Bane | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.0 (last 2) | 33.1 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 33.2 | 28.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.6 | 10.9 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 32.0 | 31.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.2 | 0.4 |
Schedule: Desmond Bane Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. Jalen Suggs Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 19.1 | 13.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.6 |
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: Desmond Bane, 32.0 fantasy points per game to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 49th overall against 51st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Desmond Bane vs Jalen Suggs: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Jalen Suggs |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.0 | 31.1 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 28.2 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 13.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.1% | 43.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.8% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.6 |
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 Desmond Bane playing tonight? · Is Jalen Suggs playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Desmond Bane or Jalen Suggs in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Desmond Bane. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.0 fantasy points to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 0.4 category value for the week to 0.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Desmond Bane's minutes are down: 30.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 33.2 on the board. Jalen Suggs's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Desmond Bane or Jalen Suggs?
Points leagues: Desmond Bane, 32.0 fantasy points per game to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Suggs instead, 49th overall against 51st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Jalen Suggs?
Desmond Bane is ahead in 6 (points, rebounds, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Jalen Suggs in 3 (assists, steals, blocks), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number