Jalen Johnson or Paolo Banchero? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 2nd and 4th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 9:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 48.0
- 9-cat
- #19
- Last 1 FP
- 43.8
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Johnson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.0 fantasy points to 41.7.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 5.8 category value for the week to -2.1.
Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 27.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 34.7 on the board.
Paolo Banchero's minutes are up: 41.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.1 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.
Jalen Johnson rookie cardsPaolo Banchero rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jalen Johnson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.8 (last 1) | 41.1 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 34.7 | 35.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 24.6 | 10.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 95.9 | 83.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 5.8 | -2.1 |
Schedule: Jalen Johnson Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU. Paolo Banchero Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 44.7 | 46.0 |
| Rebounds | 21.0 | 16.6 |
| Assists | 15.5 | 11.0 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 3.1 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 6.6 | 6.5 |
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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.0 fantasy points per game to 41.7.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 19th overall against 90th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 48.0 | 41.7 |
| Minutes | 34.7 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 22.4 | 23.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.5 | 8.3 |
| AssistsAST | 7.7 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.0% | 47.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.4% | 77.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 3.3 |
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 Johnson playing tonight? · Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Johnson or Paolo Banchero in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Johnson. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 48.0 fantasy points to 41.7. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 5.8 category value for the week to -2.1. Jalen Johnson has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jalen Johnson's minutes are down: 27.8 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 34.7 on the board. Paolo Banchero's minutes are up: 41.1 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Johnson or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 48.0 fantasy points per game to 41.7. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 19th overall against 90th.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Johnson or Paolo Banchero?
Jalen Johnson is ahead in 6 (rebounds, assists, steals, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Paolo Banchero in 2 (points, blocks), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number