Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 3rd and 6th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 2:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 43.9
- 9-cat
- #23
- Last 2 FP
- 39.5
4 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid has 2 games counted to 1 for Karl-Anthony Towns, for 87.8 projected fantasy points against 40.1.
9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 5.1 category value for the week to 2.6.
Joel Embiid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Joel Embiid's minutes are up: 33.9 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.9 on the board.
Karl-Anthony Towns played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 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.
Joel Embiid rookie cardsKarl-Anthony Towns rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Joel Embiid | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.9 (last 2) | 30.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 31.9 | 30.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.5 | 13.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 87.8 | 40.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 5.1 | 2.6 |
Schedule: Joel Embiid Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET. Karl-Anthony Towns Tue PHI, Fri @BOS, Sun ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Joel Embiid | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 51.8 | 20.1 |
| Rebounds | 15.7 | 11.8 |
| Assists | 7.8 | 2.9 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 2.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 5.7 | 2.7 |
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: Joel Embiid, 43.9 fantasy points per game to 40.1.
9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns instead, 22nd overall against 23rd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Joel Embiid vs Karl-Anthony Towns: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Joel Embiid | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.9 | 40.1 |
| Minutes | 31.9 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 25.9 | 20.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.9 | 11.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.9% | 51.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 83.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.8 | 2.7 |
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 Joel Embiid playing tonight? · Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid has 2 games counted to 1 for Karl-Anthony Towns, for 87.8 projected fantasy points against 40.1. 9-cat leagues: Joel Embiid again, 5.1 category value for the week to 2.6. Joel Embiid has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Joel Embiid's minutes are up: 33.9 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 31.9 on the board. Karl-Anthony Towns played 30.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 30.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Points leagues: Joel Embiid, 43.9 fantasy points per game to 40.1. 9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns instead, 22nd overall against 23rd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Joel Embiid is ahead in 4 (points, assists, blocks, free throw percentage); Karl-Anthony Towns in 5 (rebounds, steals, threes, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 2:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number