Devin Booker or Jalen Brunson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 3rd and 8th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 40.5
- 9-cat
- #49
- Last 10 FP
- 39.7
Day to day (Rest)
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 Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson has 3 games counted to 2 for Devin Booker, for 121.5 projected fantasy points against 79.7.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, 1.8 category value for the week to -0.0.
Devin Booker's minutes are up: 36.6 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board.
Jalen Brunson played 34.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 35.0 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 | Devin Booker | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 36.6 (last 5) | 34.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 33.5 | 35.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 20.3 | 18.6 |
| Injury | Day to day (Rest) | Day to day (Rest) |
| Projected fantasy points | 79.7 | 121.5 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -0.0 | 1.8 |
Schedule: Devin Booker Wed @POR, Sat GSW. Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Devin Booker | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 52.1 | 78.1 |
| Rebounds | 7.8 | 10.0 |
| Assists | 12.1 | 20.4 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 3.8 | 7.9 |
| Turnovers | 6.3 | 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: Jalen Brunson, 40.5 fantasy points per game to 39.9.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, 49th overall against 63rd.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Devin Booker | Jalen Brunson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.9 | 40.5 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 35.0 |
| PointsPTS | 26.1 | 26.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 6.0 | 6.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.6% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.3% | 84.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.1 | 2.4 |
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 Devin Booker or Jalen Brunson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson has 3 games counted to 2 for Devin Booker, for 121.5 projected fantasy points against 79.7. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, 1.8 category value for the week to -0.0. Devin Booker's minutes are up: 36.6 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board. Jalen Brunson played 34.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 35.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Devin Booker or Jalen Brunson?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 40.5 fantasy points per game to 39.9. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Brunson again, 49th overall against 63rd.
Who wins more categories, Devin Booker or Jalen Brunson?
Devin Booker is ahead in 4 (rebounds, steals, blocks, free throw percentage); Jalen Brunson in 4 (assists, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number