Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 3rd and 5th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 41.8
- 9-cat
- #15
- Last 10 FP
- 45.3
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 83.5 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, 6.6 category value for the week to 0.0.
Kevin Durant has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Kevin Durant played 36.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 36.4 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 | Jimmy Butler III | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 36.0 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 36.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 17.0 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 83.5 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 6.6 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler III Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX. Kevin Durant Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 52.5 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 11.0 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 9.3 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 4.7 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 6.4 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Kevin Durant, 41.8 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, 15th overall against 18th.
Jimmy Butler III vs Kevin Durant: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 41.8 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 36.4 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 26.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 52.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 85.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.2 |
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 Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant in Week 1?
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 83.5 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, 6.6 category value for the week to 0.0. Kevin Durant has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board. Kevin Durant played 36.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 36.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant?
Points leagues: Kevin Durant, 41.8 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, 15th overall against 18th.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant?
Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 4 (assists, steals, free throw percentage, turnovers); Kevin Durant in 4 (points, blocks, threes, field goal percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number