Jimmy Butler or Keyonte George? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 5th and 11th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 38.2
- 9-cat
- #36
- Last 10 FP
- 31.1
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat 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 Keyonte George. Keyonte George has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 114.5 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Keyonte George again, 3.6 category value for the week to 0.0.
Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Keyonte George's minutes are down: 26.8 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.1 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Jimmy Butler | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 26.8 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 23.6 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 114.5 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 3.6 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX. Keyonte George Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 70.8 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 11.1 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 18.4 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 3.2 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 7.4 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 9.2 |
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: Keyonte George, 38.2 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 20th overall against 36th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler | Keyonte George |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 38.2 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.1 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 23.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 6.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 45.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 89.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.1 |
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 Keyonte George 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 Keyonte George. Keyonte George has 3 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler, for 114.5 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Keyonte George again, 3.6 category value for the week to 0.0. Jimmy Butler's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board. Keyonte George's minutes are down: 26.8 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler or Keyonte George?
Points leagues: Keyonte George, 38.2 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler instead, 20th overall against 36th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler or Keyonte George?
Jimmy Butler is ahead in 4 (rebounds, steals, field goal percentage, turnovers); Keyonte George in 5 (points, assists, blocks, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number