Jabari Smith Jr. or Zion Williamson? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 10th and 12th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 6:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 31.1
- 9-cat
- #55
- Last 1 FP
- 42.5
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 35.2
- 9-cat
- #84
- Last 1 FP
- 36.1
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zion Williamson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 35.2 fantasy points to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. instead, 0.3 category value for the week to -1.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Jabari Smith Jr. has 1 back-to-back and Zion Williamson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jabari Smith Jr. played 36.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 35.2 on the board.
Zion Williamson's minutes are up: 32.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 29.8 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jabari Smith Jr. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 36.5 (last 1) | 32.1 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 35.2 | 29.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.8 | 17.9 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 62.3 | 70.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.3 | -1.7 |
Schedule: Jabari Smith Jr. Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL. Zion Williamson Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jabari Smith Jr. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 33.3 | 42.1 |
| Rebounds | 13.5 | 11.1 |
| Assists | 3.6 | 6.4 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 4.8 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 4.2 |
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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson, 35.2 fantasy points per game to 31.1.
9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. instead, 55th overall against 84th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jabari Smith Jr. | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.1 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 35.2 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 16.7 | 21.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.8 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.8 | 3.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.6% | 58.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.8% | 73.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 2.1 |
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 Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jabari Smith Jr. or Zion Williamson in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Zion Williamson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 35.2 fantasy points to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. instead, 0.3 category value for the week to -1.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Jabari Smith Jr. has 1 back-to-back and Zion Williamson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jabari Smith Jr. played 36.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 35.2 on the board. Zion Williamson's minutes are up: 32.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 29.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jabari Smith Jr. or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson, 35.2 fantasy points per game to 31.1. 9-cat leagues: Jabari Smith Jr. instead, 55th overall against 84th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jabari Smith Jr. or Zion Williamson?
Jabari Smith Jr. is ahead in 5 (rebounds, blocks, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers); Zion Williamson in 4 (points, assists, steals, field goal percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 6:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number