Jaden McDaniels or Saddiq Bey? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 14th and 16th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 29.5
- 9-cat
- #82
- Last 1 FP
- 17.0
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 Saddiq Bey. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.5 fantasy points to 29.0.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 1.2 category value for the week to -1.6, because his category mix is worth more there.
Saddiq Bey has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 28.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board.
Saddiq Bey's minutes are down: 23.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 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.
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jaden McDaniels | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 28.7 (last 1) | 23.6 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 31.6 | 30.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 13.8 | 13.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 58.0 | 58.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 1.2 | -1.6 |
Schedule: Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR. Saddiq Bey Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 30.0 | 34.7 |
| Rebounds | 9.0 | 11.0 |
| Assists | 5.2 | 4.7 |
| Steals | 2.5 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| Turnovers | 3.6 | 2.0 |
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: Saddiq Bey, 29.5 fantasy points per game to 29.0.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 46th overall against 82nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jaden McDaniels | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.0 | 29.5 |
| Minutes | 31.6 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 15.0 | 17.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.9% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.5% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.0 |
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 Saddiq Bey playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jaden McDaniels or Saddiq Bey in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Saddiq Bey. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.5 fantasy points to 29.0. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 1.2 category value for the week to -1.6, because his category mix is worth more there. Saddiq Bey has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jaden McDaniels's minutes are down: 28.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board. Saddiq Bey's minutes are down: 23.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jaden McDaniels or Saddiq Bey?
Points leagues: Saddiq Bey, 29.5 fantasy points per game to 29.0. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 46th overall against 82nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jaden McDaniels or Saddiq Bey?
Jaden McDaniels is ahead in 4 (assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage); Saddiq Bey in 5 (points, rebounds, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number