Jalen Williams or RJ Barrett? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 9th and 11th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 32.9
- 9-cat
- #77
- Last 2 FP
- 29.9
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 Williams. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.9 fantasy points to 32.4.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 category value for the week to -2.2.
Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board.
RJ Barrett played 30.1 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.2 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 Williams rookie cardsRJ Barrett rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jalen Williams | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 31.6 (last 2) | 30.1 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 28.7 | 30.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.7 | 18.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 32.9 | 32.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -0.8 | -2.2 |
Schedule: Jalen Williams Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC. RJ Barrett Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Williams | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 17.0 | 19.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.8 | 5.4 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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 Williams, 32.9 fantasy points per game to 32.4.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, 77th overall against 142nd.
Jalen Williams vs RJ Barrett: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Williams | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.9 | 32.4 |
| Minutes | 28.7 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 17.0 | 19.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.1 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.1% | 50.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.7% | 71.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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 Williams playing tonight? · Is RJ Barrett playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Williams or RJ Barrett in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jalen Williams. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 32.9 fantasy points to 32.4. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 category value for the week to -2.2. Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board. RJ Barrett played 30.1 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Williams or RJ Barrett?
Points leagues: Jalen Williams, 32.9 fantasy points per game to 32.4. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, 77th overall against 142nd.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Williams or RJ Barrett?
Jalen Williams is ahead in 3 (assists, steals, free throw percentage); RJ Barrett in 6 (points, rebounds, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number