Jaden McDaniels or Mikal Bridges? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 16th and 18th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jaden McDaniels. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.6.
9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges instead, 1.2 category value for the week to 1.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 28.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board.
Mikal Bridges played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.8 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 | Jaden McDaniels | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 28.7 (last 1) | 33.0 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 31.6 | 32.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 13.8 | 8.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 58.0 | 57.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Schedule: Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR. Mikal Bridges Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 30.0 | 27.5 |
| Rebounds | 9.0 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 3.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.6 | 1.9 |
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
For the next game, the market-based projection favors Jaden McDaniels: 29.2 fantasy points on Fri, Oct 23 against 24.4 for Mikal Bridges.
Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.6.
9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges instead, 45th overall against 46th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Jaden McDaniels vs Mikal Bridges: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 31.6 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.9% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.5% | 82.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 0.9 |
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 Jaden McDaniels playing tonight? · Is Mikal Bridges playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jaden McDaniels or Mikal Bridges in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jaden McDaniels. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.6. 9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges instead, 1.2 category value for the week to 1.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 28.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board. Mikal Bridges played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 32.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jaden McDaniels or Mikal Bridges?
For the next game, the market-based projection favors Jaden McDaniels: 29.2 fantasy points on Fri, Oct 23 against 24.4 for Mikal Bridges. Points leagues: Jaden McDaniels, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.6. 9-cat leagues: Mikal Bridges instead, 45th overall against 46th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Mikal Bridges?
Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (points, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Mikal Bridges in 3 (assists, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number