Josh Giddey or Stephen Curry? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 7th and 9th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 22, 11:54 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 39.9
- 9-cat
- #89
- Last 1 FP
- 14.4
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
- FP/G
- 39.2
- 9-cat
- #10
- Last 1 FP
- 30.9
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Josh Giddey. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.9 fantasy points to 39.2.
9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, 8.0 category value for the week to -2.1, because his category mix is worth more there.
Josh Giddey has 1 back-to-back and Stephen Curry has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Josh Giddey's minutes are down: 24.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board.
Stephen Curry's minutes are down: 21.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.3 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.
Josh Giddey rookie cardsStephen Curry rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Josh Giddey | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 24.0 (last 1) | 21.2 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 31.6 | 30.3 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.0 | 25.5 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 79.8 | 78.4 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -2.1 | 8.0 |
Schedule: Josh Giddey Wed @TOR, Fri @MIL, Sat WAS. Stephen Curry Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Josh Giddey | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 32.2 | 52.7 |
| Rebounds | 16.4 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 17.9 | 9.0 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 3.6 | 8.5 |
| Turnovers | 7.4 | 5.5 |
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: Josh Giddey, 39.9 fantasy points per game to 39.2.
9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, 10th overall against 89th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Josh Giddey | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.9 | 39.2 |
| Minutes | 31.6 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 16.1 | 26.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.2 | 3.5 |
| AssistsAST | 9.0 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 4.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.1% | 46.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.0% | 92.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.7 | 2.8 |
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 Josh Giddey playing tonight? · Is Stephen Curry playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Josh Giddey or Stephen Curry in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Josh Giddey. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 39.9 fantasy points to 39.2. 9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, 8.0 category value for the week to -2.1, because his category mix is worth more there. Josh Giddey has 1 back-to-back and Stephen Curry has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Josh Giddey's minutes are down: 24.0 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 31.6 on the board. Stephen Curry's minutes are down: 21.2 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 30.3 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Josh Giddey or Stephen Curry?
Points leagues: Josh Giddey, 39.9 fantasy points per game to 39.2. 9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, 10th overall against 89th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Josh Giddey or Stephen Curry?
Josh Giddey is ahead in 3 (rebounds, assists, blocks); Stephen Curry in 6 (points, steals, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number