Devin Booker or LeBron James? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SGs ranked 3rd and 5th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 4:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 41.4
- 9-cat
- #40
- Last 2 FP
- 41.9
4 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start LeBron James. LeBron James has 1 game counted to 0 for Devin Booker, for 41.4 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 0.9 category value for the week to 0.0.
LeBron James has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Devin Booker played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.5 on the board.
LeBron James played 33.6 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.2 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.
Devin Booker rookie cardsLeBron James rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Devin Booker | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.0 (last 2) | 33.6 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 33.5 | 33.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 20.8 | 14.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 41.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 0.9 |
Schedule: Devin Booker Wed @POR, Sat GSW. LeBron James Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Devin Booker | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 20.3 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 3.0 |
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: LeBron James, 41.4 fantasy points per game to 40.8.
9-cat leagues: Devin Booker instead, 34th overall against 40th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Devin Booker vs LeBron James: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Devin Booker | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.8 | 41.4 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 26.9 | 20.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 5.9 | 7.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.1% | 74.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.1 | 3.0 |
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 Devin Booker playing tonight? · Is LeBron James playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Devin Booker or LeBron James in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start LeBron James. LeBron James has 1 game counted to 0 for Devin Booker, for 41.4 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 0.9 category value for the week to 0.0. LeBron James has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Devin Booker played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.5 on the board. LeBron James played 33.6 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Devin Booker or LeBron James?
Points leagues: LeBron James, 41.4 fantasy points per game to 40.8. 9-cat leagues: Devin Booker instead, 34th overall against 40th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Devin Booker or LeBron James?
Devin Booker is ahead in 3 (points, threes, free throw percentage); LeBron James in 6 (rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 4:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number