Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 4th 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
- 38.9
- 9-cat
- #27
- Last 10 FP
- 36.3
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 Michael Porter Jr.. Michael Porter Jr. has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 77.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 4.4 category value for the week to 0.0.
Michael Porter Jr. 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.
Michael Porter Jr. played 30.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.6 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 | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 30.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 32.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 22.6 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 77.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 4.4 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler III Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX. Michael Porter Jr. Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 48.6 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 5.8 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 7.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 4.9 |
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: Michael Porter Jr., 38.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 18th overall against 27th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 38.9 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 32.6 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 24.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 3.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 46.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 84.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.5 |
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 Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr. 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 Michael Porter Jr.. Michael Porter Jr. has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 77.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Michael Porter Jr. again, 4.4 category value for the week to 0.0. Michael Porter Jr. 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. Michael Porter Jr. played 30.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 32.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.?
Points leagues: Michael Porter Jr., 38.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 18th overall against 27th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Michael Porter Jr.?
Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Michael Porter Jr. in 3 (points, rebounds, threes), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number