Jimmy Butler or Julius Randle? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 5th and 9th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 37.4
- 9-cat
- #20
- Last 10 FP
- 38.2
Out (Knee)
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 37.9
- 9-cat
- #68
- Last 10 FP
- 34.5
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Jimmy Butler is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Julius Randle. Julius Randle has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 113.8 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Julius Randle has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Julius Randle played 32.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 33.0 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 | Jimmy Butler | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 32.6 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 33.0 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 16.1 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 113.8 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | -1.2 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX. Julius Randle Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 63.3 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 20.2 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 15.1 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 4.1 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 8.2 |
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: Julius Randle, 37.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 20th overall against 68th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 37.9 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 21.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 6.7 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 48.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.7 |
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 Jimmy Butler or Julius Randle in Week 1?
Jimmy Butler is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Julius Randle. Julius Randle has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 113.8 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Julius Randle has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board. Julius Randle played 32.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 33.0 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler or Julius Randle?
Points leagues: Julius Randle, 37.9 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 20th overall against 68th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler or Julius Randle?
Jimmy Butler is ahead in 4 (steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Julius Randle in 4 (points, rebounds, assists, threes), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number