Julian Champagnie or Kyle Kuzma? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), SFs ranked 27th and 29th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 12:27 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 22.9
- 9-cat
- #93
- Last 2 FP
- 21.1
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 24.3
- 9-cat
- #204
- Last 2 FP
- 26.8
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kyle Kuzma. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 24.3 fantasy points to 22.9.
9-cat leagues: Julian Champagnie instead, -1.1 category value for the week to -3.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Julian Champagnie has 1 back-to-back and Kyle Kuzma has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Julian Champagnie played 27.6 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.6 on the board.
Kyle Kuzma played 28.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 26.4 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 | Julian Champagnie | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.6 (last 2) | 28.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 27.6 | 26.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 8.5 | 13.3 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 22.9 | 24.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.1 | -3.8 |
Schedule: Julian Champagnie Tue OKC, Fri HOU, Sat @DAL. Kyle Kuzma Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Julian Champagnie | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 10.6 | 12.6 |
| Rebounds | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| Assists | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 0.8 | 1.7 |
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: Kyle Kuzma, 24.3 fantasy points per game to 22.9.
9-cat leagues: Julian Champagnie instead, 93rd overall against 204th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Julian Champagnie | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.9 | 24.3 |
| Minutes | 27.6 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 10.6 | 12.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.3 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.2% | 47.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.4% | 70.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.7 |
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 Julian Champagnie playing tonight? · Is Kyle Kuzma playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Julian Champagnie or Kyle Kuzma in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Kyle Kuzma. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 24.3 fantasy points to 22.9. 9-cat leagues: Julian Champagnie instead, -1.1 category value for the week to -3.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Julian Champagnie has 1 back-to-back and Kyle Kuzma has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Julian Champagnie played 27.6 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.6 on the board. Kyle Kuzma played 28.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 26.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Julian Champagnie or Kyle Kuzma?
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma, 24.3 fantasy points per game to 22.9. 9-cat leagues: Julian Champagnie instead, 93rd overall against 204th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Julian Champagnie or Kyle Kuzma?
Julian Champagnie is ahead in 6 (rebounds, steals, blocks, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers); Kyle Kuzma in 3 (points, assists, field goal percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 12:27 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number