Kel'el Ware or Wendell Carter Jr.? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 27th and 28th 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
- 26.9
- 9-cat
- #61
- Last 1 FP
- 14.1
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 Wendell Carter Jr.. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.0 fantasy points to 26.9.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.4 category value for the week to -1.7, because his category mix is worth more there.
Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Kel'el Ware's minutes are down: 13.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board.
Wendell Carter Jr. played 30.9 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.4 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 | Kel'el Ware | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 13.7 (last 1) | 30.9 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 21.6 | 29.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.7 | 11.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 53.7 | 54.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -0.4 | -1.7 |
Schedule: Kel'el Ware Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI. Wendell Carter Jr. Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Kel'el Ware | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 21.6 | 24.9 |
| Rebounds | 17.3 | 14.7 |
| Assists | 1.5 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 2.4 |
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: Wendell Carter Jr., 27.0 fantasy points per game to 26.9.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 61st overall against 83rd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Kel'el Ware vs Wendell Carter Jr.: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Kel'el Ware | Wendell Carter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.9 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 21.6 | 29.4 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.6 | 7.4 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.9% | 53.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.3% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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 Kel'el Ware playing tonight? · Is Wendell Carter Jr. playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Kel'el Ware or Wendell Carter Jr. in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Wendell Carter Jr.. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 27.0 fantasy points to 26.9. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.4 category value for the week to -1.7, because his category mix is worth more there. Kel'el Ware has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Kel'el Ware's minutes are down: 13.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board. Wendell Carter Jr. played 30.9 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 29.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Kel'el Ware or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Points leagues: Wendell Carter Jr., 27.0 fantasy points per game to 26.9. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, 61st overall against 83rd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Wendell Carter Jr.?
Kel'el Ware is ahead in 4 (rebounds, blocks, threes, turnovers); Wendell Carter Jr. in 4 (points, assists, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 11:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number