Jalen Duren or Jaren Jackson Jr.? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 9th and 11th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 37.2
- 9-cat
- #30
- Last 2 FP
- 30.0
Day to day (Thigh)
3 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 Jalen Duren. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 37.2 fantasy points to 34.8.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Duren again, 2.1 category value for the week to 1.0.
Jalen Duren's minutes are down: 19.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 27.1 on the board.
Jaren Jackson Jr. played 30.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.3 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 | Jalen Duren | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 19.1 (last 2) | 30.7 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 27.1 | 30.3 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.0 | 14.7 |
| Injury | Day to day (Thigh) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 37.2 | 34.8 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 2.1 | 1.0 |
Schedule: Jalen Duren Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI. Jaren Jackson Jr. Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Duren | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 18.7 | 19.4 |
| Rebounds | 10.2 | 5.9 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 2.4 |
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: Jalen Duren, 37.2 fantasy points per game to 34.8.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Duren again, 30th overall against 42nd.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Duren | Jaren Jackson Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.2 | 34.8 |
| Minutes | 27.1 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 18.7 | 19.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.2 | 5.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.5% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.4% | 79.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 2.4 |
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 Duren playing tonight? · Is Jaren Jackson Jr. playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Duren or Jaren Jackson Jr. in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Duren. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 37.2 fantasy points to 34.8. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Duren again, 2.1 category value for the week to 1.0. Jalen Duren's minutes are down: 19.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 27.1 on the board. Jaren Jackson Jr. played 30.7 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.3 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Duren or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Points leagues: Jalen Duren, 37.2 fantasy points per game to 34.8. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Duren again, 30th overall against 42nd.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Duren or Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Jalen Duren is ahead in 3 (rebounds, field goal percentage, turnovers); Jaren Jackson Jr. in 5 (points, steals, blocks, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number