Jaden McDaniels or P.J. Washington? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 15th and 17th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 29.7
- 9-cat
- #141
- Last 2 FP
- 29.7
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 P.J. Washington. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.7 fantasy points to 29.2.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.7 category value for the week to -2.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
P.J. Washington has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board.
P.J. Washington played 31.8 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.1 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jaden McDaniels | P.J. Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 29.3 (last 2) | 31.8 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 31.5 | 31.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.4 | 11.3 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 29.2 | 29.7 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.7 | -2.2 |
Schedule: Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR. P.J. Washington Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | P.J. Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 15.0 | 14.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 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 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: P.J. Washington, 29.7 fantasy points per game to 29.2.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 43rd overall against 141st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Jaden McDaniels vs P.J. Washington: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | P.J. Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.2 | 29.7 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 31.1 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 14.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.1% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.0% | 67.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 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 Jaden McDaniels playing tonight? · Is P.J. Washington playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jaden McDaniels or P.J. Washington in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start P.J. Washington. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.7 fantasy points to 29.2. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 0.7 category value for the week to -2.2, because his category mix is worth more there. P.J. Washington has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 29.3 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.5 on the board. P.J. Washington played 31.8 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jaden McDaniels or P.J. Washington?
Points leagues: P.J. Washington, 29.7 fantasy points per game to 29.2. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 43rd overall against 141st, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or P.J. Washington?
Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 6 (points, assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); P.J. Washington in 2 (rebounds, blocks), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number