Ja Morant or Paul George? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 7th and 12th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 2:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ja Morant. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 36.0 fantasy points to 35.3.
9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, 2.8 category value for the week to -1.5, because his category mix is worth more there.
Ja Morant's minutes are up: 30.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.1 on the board.
Paul George played 30.6 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 30.7 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.
Ja Morant rookie cardsPaul George rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.3 (last 5) | 30.6 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 28.1 | 30.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 19.9 | 24.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 36.0 | 35.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.5 | 2.8 |
Schedule: Ja Morant Wed PHX, Fri @SAC. Paul George Tue @DET, Fri NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 19.1 | 18.6 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 5.3 |
| Assists | 8.0 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.1 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.4 | 1.8 |
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: Ja Morant, 36.0 fantasy points per game to 35.3.
9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, 20th overall against 109th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Ja Morant vs Paul George: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Ja Morant | Paul George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 36.0 | 35.3 |
| Minutes | 28.1 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 19.1 | 18.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 8.0 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 3.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.1% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.7% | 82.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 1.8 |
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 Ja Morant playing tonight? · Is Paul George playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Ja Morant or Paul George in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Ja Morant. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 36.0 fantasy points to 35.3. 9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, 2.8 category value for the week to -1.5, because his category mix is worth more there. Ja Morant's minutes are up: 30.3 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 28.1 on the board. Paul George played 30.6 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 30.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Ja Morant or Paul George?
Points leagues: Ja Morant, 36.0 fantasy points per game to 35.3. 9-cat leagues: Paul George instead, 20th overall against 109th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ja Morant or Paul George?
Ja Morant is ahead in 3 (points, assists, free throw percentage); Paul George in 6 (rebounds, steals, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 2:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number