Franz Wagner or Jalen Williams? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 8th and 11th 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 Franz Wagner. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 33.8 fantasy points to 32.9.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams instead, -0.8 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Franz Wagner played 31.2 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.1 on the board.
Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.7 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.
Franz Wagner rookie cardsJalen Williams rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Franz Wagner | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 31.2 (last 2) | 31.6 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 30.1 | 28.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 19.6 | 17.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 33.8 | 32.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.2 | -0.8 |
Schedule: Franz Wagner Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. Jalen Williams Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Franz Wagner | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 20.5 | 17.0 |
| Rebounds | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| Assists | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 1.7 |
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: Franz Wagner, 33.8 fantasy points per game to 32.9.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams instead, 77th overall against 95th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Franz Wagner vs Jalen Williams: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Franz Wagner | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.8 | 32.9 |
| Minutes | 30.1 | 28.7 |
| PointsPTS | 20.5 | 17.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 47.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.0% | 82.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.7 |
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 Franz Wagner playing tonight? · Is Jalen Williams playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Franz Wagner or Jalen Williams in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Franz Wagner. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 33.8 fantasy points to 32.9. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams instead, -0.8 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Franz Wagner played 31.2 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.1 on the board. Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Franz Wagner or Jalen Williams?
Points leagues: Franz Wagner, 33.8 fantasy points per game to 32.9. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams instead, 77th overall against 95th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Franz Wagner or Jalen Williams?
Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (points, rebounds, threes, field goal percentage); Jalen Williams in 4 (assists, steals, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number