Desmond Bane or Norman Powell? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 11th and 14th 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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- FP/G
- 32.0
- 9-cat
- #51
- Last 2 FP
- 20.7
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
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 31.4.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, 0.2 category value for the week to -0.7.
Norman Powell has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Desmond Bane's minutes are down: 30.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 33.2 on the board.
Norman Powell played 27.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 29.4 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Desmond Bane | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.0 (last 2) | 27.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 33.2 | 29.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.6 | 19.1 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 32.0 | 31.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.2 | -0.7 |
Schedule: Desmond Bane Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. Norman Powell Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 19.1 | 21.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | 3.6 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.8 |
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 31.4.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, 51st overall against 74th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.0 | 31.4 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 21.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.1% | 45.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.8% | 82.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.8 |
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 Norman Powell playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Desmond Bane or Norman Powell 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 31.4. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, 0.2 category value for the week to -0.7. Norman Powell has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Desmond Bane's minutes are down: 30.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 33.2 on the board. Norman Powell played 27.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 29.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Desmond Bane or Norman Powell?
Points leagues: Desmond Bane, 32.0 fantasy points per game to 31.4. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane again, 51st overall against 74th.
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Norman Powell?
Desmond Bane is ahead in 5 (rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Norman Powell in 3 (points, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number