Jalen Brunson or Keyonte George? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 8th and 11th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 6:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.8 fantasy points to 37.9.
9-cat leagues: Keyonte George instead, 2.3 category value for the week to 0.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Jalen Brunson played 34.1 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.9 on the board.
Keyonte George's minutes are down: 28.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 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.
Jalen Brunson rookie cardsKeyonte George rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jalen Brunson | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 34.1 (last 1) | 28.6 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 34.9 | 32.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 20.1 | 15.1 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 79.6 | 75.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.7 | 2.3 |
Schedule: Jalen Brunson Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL. Keyonte George Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Brunson | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 51.5 | 47.0 |
| Rebounds | 6.9 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 13.1 | 12.2 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Turnovers | 4.7 | 6.0 |
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: Jalen Brunson, 39.8 fantasy points per game to 37.9.
9-cat leagues: Keyonte George instead, 37th overall against 52nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Brunson | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.8 | 37.9 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 25.7 | 23.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 6.6 | 6.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.8% | 46.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.4% | 87.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 3.0 |
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 Jalen Brunson playing tonight? · Is Keyonte George playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Brunson or Keyonte George in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Brunson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.8 fantasy points to 37.9. 9-cat leagues: Keyonte George instead, 2.3 category value for the week to 0.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Jalen Brunson played 34.1 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 34.9 on the board. Keyonte George's minutes are down: 28.6 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 32.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Brunson or Keyonte George?
Points leagues: Jalen Brunson, 39.8 fantasy points per game to 37.9. 9-cat leagues: Keyonte George instead, 37th overall against 52nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Brunson or Keyonte George?
Jalen Brunson is ahead in 3 (points, assists, turnovers); Keyonte George in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 6:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number