Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 20th and 24th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 28.7
- 9-cat
- #85
- Last 10 FP
- 27.5
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 Naz Reid. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 28.7 fantasy points to 28.6.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.1 category value for the week to -2.0, because his category mix is worth more there.
Naz Reid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jaden McDaniels played 32.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.7 on the board.
Naz Reid played 26.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 26.1 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jaden McDaniels | Naz Reid |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 32.8 (last 5) | 26.4 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.7 | 26.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.8 | 17.8 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 85.7 | 86.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.1 | -2.0 |
Schedule: Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR. Naz Reid Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Naz Reid |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 44.5 | 40.8 |
| Rebounds | 12.7 | 18.6 |
| Assists | 8.2 | 6.6 |
| Steals | 3.3 | 3.0 |
| Blocks | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Threes | 4.2 | 6.3 |
| Turnovers | 5.4 | 4.9 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Naz Reid, 28.7 fantasy points per game to 28.6.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 61st overall against 85th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Naz Reid |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.6 | 28.7 |
| Minutes | 31.7 | 26.1 |
| PointsPTS | 14.8 | 13.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 6.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.5% | 45.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.5% | 73.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.6 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Naz Reid. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 28.7 fantasy points to 28.6. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.1 category value for the week to -2.0, because his category mix is worth more there. Naz Reid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jaden McDaniels played 32.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.7 on the board. Naz Reid played 26.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 26.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid?
Points leagues: Naz Reid, 28.7 fantasy points per game to 28.6. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 61st overall against 85th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Naz Reid?
Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 5 (points, assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Naz Reid in 3 (rebounds, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number