Franz Wagner or RJ Barrett? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 8th and 10th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 3:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 34.1
- 9-cat
- #78
- Last 1 FP
- 36.7
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 Franz Wagner. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 34.1 fantasy points to 31.8.
9-cat leagues: Franz Wagner again, -1.4 category value for the week to -5.4.
Franz Wagner played 29.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.9 on the board.
RJ Barrett's minutes are down: 26.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.0 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.
Franz Wagner rookie cardsRJ Barrett rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Franz Wagner | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 29.5 (last 1) | 26.2 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 29.9 | 30.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 24.4 | 19.2 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 68.1 | 63.6 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.4 | -5.4 |
Schedule: Franz Wagner Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK. RJ Barrett Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Franz Wagner | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 41.3 | 38.6 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 10.4 |
| Assists | 6.9 | 6.6 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 3.6 | 3.4 |
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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Franz Wagner, 34.1 fantasy points per game to 31.8.
9-cat leagues: Franz Wagner again, 78th overall against 161st.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Franz Wagner | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 34.1 | 31.8 |
| Minutes | 29.9 | 30.0 |
| PointsPTS | 20.6 | 19.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.9% | 49.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.9% | 70.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 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 RJ Barrett playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Franz Wagner or RJ Barrett in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Franz Wagner. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 34.1 fantasy points to 31.8. 9-cat leagues: Franz Wagner again, -1.4 category value for the week to -5.4. Franz Wagner played 29.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.9 on the board. RJ Barrett's minutes are down: 26.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Franz Wagner or RJ Barrett?
Points leagues: Franz Wagner, 34.1 fantasy points per game to 31.8. 9-cat leagues: Franz Wagner again, 78th overall against 161st.
Who wins more categories, Franz Wagner or RJ Barrett?
Franz Wagner is ahead in 4 (points, assists, steals, free throw percentage); RJ Barrett in 3 (threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 3:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number