Jalen Johnson or Kawhi Leonard? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 1st and 2nd at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 48.3
- 9-cat
- #17
- Last 10 FP
- 39.7
Day to day (Rest)
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 Jalen Johnson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.3 fantasy points to 45.7.
9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard instead, 21.5 category value for the week to 9.3, because his category mix is worth more there.
Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 32.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 35.2 on the board.
Kawhi Leonard played 31.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.1 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jalen Johnson | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 32.1 (last 5) | 31.8 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 35.2 | 32.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.0 | 20.6 |
| Injury | Day to day (Rest) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 144.8 | 137.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 9.3 | 21.5 |
Schedule: Jalen Johnson Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU. Kawhi Leonard Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 67.5 | 83.7 |
| Rebounds | 30.8 | 19.1 |
| Assists | 23.6 | 10.8 |
| Steals | 3.7 | 5.6 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 5.0 | 7.9 |
| Turnovers | 10.2 | 6.1 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.3 fantasy points per game to 45.7.
9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard instead, 4th overall against 17th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 48.3 | 45.7 |
| Minutes | 35.2 | 32.1 |
| PointsPTS | 22.5 | 27.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.3 | 6.4 |
| AssistsAST | 7.9 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.9% | 50.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.8% | 89.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 2.0 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Johnson or Kawhi Leonard in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Johnson. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.3 fantasy points to 45.7. 9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard instead, 21.5 category value for the week to 9.3, because his category mix is worth more there. Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 32.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 35.2 on the board. Kawhi Leonard played 31.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Johnson or Kawhi Leonard?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.3 fantasy points per game to 45.7. 9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard instead, 4th overall against 17th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Johnson or Kawhi Leonard?
Jalen Johnson is ahead in 2 (rebounds, assists); Kawhi Leonard in 6 (points, steals, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number