Evan Mobley or Paolo Banchero? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 7th and 8th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Paolo Banchero. Paolo Banchero has 3 games counted to 2 for Evan Mobley, for 122.3 projected fantasy points against 79.9.
9-cat leagues: Evan Mobley instead, 1.8 category value for the week to -4.9, because his category mix is worth more there.
Evan Mobley's minutes are down: 27.4 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.9 on the board.
Paolo Banchero played 33.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 34.8 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 | Evan Mobley | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.4 (last 5) | 33.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.9 | 34.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 13.9 | 15.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 79.9 | 122.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 1.8 | -4.9 |
Schedule: Evan Mobley Thu @PHI, Sat BKN. Paolo Banchero Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Evan Mobley | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 36.3 | 66.6 |
| Rebounds | 18.0 | 25.2 |
| Assists | 7.2 | 15.5 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 3.5 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 3.8 | 9.2 |
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: Paolo Banchero, 40.8 fantasy points per game to 39.9.
9-cat leagues: Evan Mobley instead, 41st overall against 111th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Evan Mobley | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.9 | 40.8 |
| Minutes | 31.9 | 34.8 |
| PointsPTS | 18.2 | 22.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 8.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 5.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.6% | 45.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 60.6% | 77.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.9 | 3.1 |
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 Evan Mobley or Paolo Banchero in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Paolo Banchero. Paolo Banchero has 3 games counted to 2 for Evan Mobley, for 122.3 projected fantasy points against 79.9. 9-cat leagues: Evan Mobley instead, 1.8 category value for the week to -4.9, because his category mix is worth more there. Evan Mobley's minutes are down: 27.4 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.9 on the board. Paolo Banchero played 33.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 34.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Evan Mobley or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero, 40.8 fantasy points per game to 39.9. 9-cat leagues: Evan Mobley instead, 41st overall against 111th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Evan Mobley or Paolo Banchero?
Evan Mobley is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Paolo Banchero in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number