Jalen Brunson or Jamal Murray? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 5th and 7th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 12:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 41.4
- 9-cat
- #18
- Last 1 FP
- 19.5
2 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jamal Murray. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 41.4 fantasy points to 39.3.
9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray again, 3.0 category value for the week to -0.0.
Jalen Brunson played 35.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.1 on the board.
Jamal Murray played 36.8 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 35.5 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.
Jalen Brunson rookie cardsJamal Murray rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jalen Brunson | Jamal Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 35.7 (last 2) | 36.8 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 35.1 | 35.5 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.2 | 10.8 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 39.3 | 41.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -0.0 | 3.0 |
Schedule: Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL. Jamal Murray Thu @OKC, Sat NOP.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Brunson | Jamal Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 25.3 | 24.2 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 4.8 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 6.9 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 2.5 |
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: Jamal Murray, 41.4 fantasy points per game to 39.3.
9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray again, 18th overall against 59th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Brunson | Jamal Murray |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 41.4 |
| Minutes | 35.1 | 35.5 |
| PointsPTS | 25.3 | 24.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.6% | 47.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.3% | 86.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.5 |
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 Jalen Brunson playing tonight? · Is Jamal Murray playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Brunson or Jamal Murray in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jamal Murray. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 41.4 fantasy points to 39.3. 9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray again, 3.0 category value for the week to -0.0. Jalen Brunson played 35.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.1 on the board. Jamal Murray played 36.8 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 35.5 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Brunson or Jamal Murray?
Points leagues: Jamal Murray, 41.4 fantasy points per game to 39.3. 9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray again, 18th overall against 59th.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Brunson or Jamal Murray?
Jalen Brunson is ahead in 2 (points, turnovers); Jamal Murray in 7 (rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number