Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 22nd and 26th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 27.7
- 9-cat
- #52
- Last 10 FP
- 26.5
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 27.7
- 9-cat
- #152
- Last 10 FP
- 32.1
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 Naji Marshall. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.7 fantasy points to 27.7.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 1.1 category value for the week to -7.6, because his category mix is worth more there.
Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back and Naji Marshall has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Kel'el Ware played 23.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 22.1 on the board.
Naji Marshall played 27.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 29.5 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 | Kel'el Ware | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 23.0 (last 5) | 27.6 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 22.1 | 29.5 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 13.7 | 16.2 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 83.2 | 83.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 1.1 | -7.6 |
Schedule: Kel'el Ware Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI. Naji Marshall Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Kel'el Ware | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 33.2 | 45.7 |
| Rebounds | 27.0 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 2.2 | 9.8 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Blocks | 3.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 4.8 |
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: Naji Marshall, 27.7 fantasy points per game to 27.7.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 52nd overall against 152nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Kel'el Ware | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 22.1 | 29.5 |
| PointsPTS | 11.1 | 15.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 4.7 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.0% | 51.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.0% | 76.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.6 |
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 Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Naji Marshall. Both have 3 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.7 fantasy points to 27.7. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 1.1 category value for the week to -7.6, because his category mix is worth more there. Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back and Naji Marshall has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Kel'el Ware played 23.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 22.1 on the board. Naji Marshall played 27.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 29.5 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall?
Points leagues: Naji Marshall, 27.7 fantasy points per game to 27.7. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 52nd overall against 152nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall?
Kel'el Ware is ahead in 6 (rebounds, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Naji Marshall in 3 (points, assists, steals), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number