John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 23rd and 25th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kelly Oubre Jr.. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 26.0 fantasy points to 24.6.
9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, -2.7 category value for the week to -2.9, because his category mix is worth more there.
John Collins played 25.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 27.0 on the board.
Kelly Oubre Jr.'s minutes are down: 27.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.3 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 | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 25.5 (last 1) | 27.7 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 27.0 | 31.3 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 9.9 | 6.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 49.1 | 52.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -2.7 | -2.9 |
Schedule: John Collins Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI. Kelly Oubre Jr. Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 26.2 | 26.9 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 9.7 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| Steals | 1.8 | 2.7 |
| Blocks | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 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 1 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Kelly Oubre Jr., 26.0 fantasy points per game to 24.6.
9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, 104th overall against 106th, because the categories reward a different mix.
John Collins vs Kelly Oubre Jr.: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | John Collins | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.6 | 26.0 |
| Minutes | 27.0 | 31.3 |
| PointsPTS | 13.1 | 13.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 54.7% | 46.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.6% | 76.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 1.4 |
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 John Collins playing tonight? · Is Kelly Oubre Jr. playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr. in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kelly Oubre Jr.. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 26.0 fantasy points to 24.6. 9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, -2.7 category value for the week to -2.9, because his category mix is worth more there. John Collins played 25.5 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 27.0 on the board. Kelly Oubre Jr.'s minutes are down: 27.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.3 on the board.
Who is better for the season, John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.?
Points leagues: Kelly Oubre Jr., 26.0 fantasy points per game to 24.6. 9-cat leagues: John Collins instead, 104th overall against 106th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, John Collins or Kelly Oubre Jr.?
John Collins is ahead in 5 (rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Kelly Oubre Jr. in 4 (points, assists, steals, threes), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number