Luka Dončić or Tyrese Maxey? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PGs ranked 1st and 3rd 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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- FP/G
- 49.1
- 9-cat
- #5
- Last 1 FP
- 56.3
4 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Tyrese Maxey. Tyrese Maxey has 3 games counted to 2 for Luka Dončić, for 147.3 projected fantasy points against 114.6.
9-cat leagues: Tyrese Maxey again, 22.4 category value for the week to 12.9.
Tyrese Maxey has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Luka Dončić's minutes are down: 29.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.4 on the board.
Tyrese Maxey played 39.6 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 38.1 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.
Luka Dončić rookie cardsTyrese Maxey rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Luka Dončić | Tyrese Maxey |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 29.7 (last 1) | 39.6 (last 1) |
| Minutes, board | 35.4 | 38.1 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 21.8 | 17.3 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 114.6 | 147.3 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 12.9 | 22.4 |
Schedule: Luka Dončić Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA. Tyrese Maxey Tue @NYK, Thu CLE, Sat MIL, Sun DET.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Luka Dončić | Tyrese Maxey |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 66.3 | 84.8 |
| Rebounds | 15.5 | 12.4 |
| Assists | 16.4 | 19.5 |
| Steals | 3.5 | 5.8 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| Threes | 8.1 | 9.2 |
| Turnovers | 8.2 | 7.2 |
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: Luka Dončić, 57.3 fantasy points per game to 49.1.
9-cat leagues: Tyrese Maxey instead, 5th overall against 6th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Luka Dončić vs Tyrese Maxey: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Luka Dončić | Tyrese Maxey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 57.3 | 49.1 |
| Minutes | 35.4 | 38.1 |
| PointsPTS | 33.1 | 28.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.8 | 4.1 |
| AssistsAST | 8.2 | 6.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 4.0 | 3.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.1% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.2% | 89.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 4.1 | 2.4 |
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 Luka Dončić playing tonight? · Is Tyrese Maxey playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Luka Dončić or Tyrese Maxey in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Tyrese Maxey. Tyrese Maxey has 3 games counted to 2 for Luka Dončić, for 147.3 projected fantasy points against 114.6. 9-cat leagues: Tyrese Maxey again, 22.4 category value for the week to 12.9. Tyrese Maxey has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Luka Dončić's minutes are down: 29.7 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 35.4 on the board. Tyrese Maxey played 39.6 minutes a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, in line with his 38.1 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Luka Dončić or Tyrese Maxey?
Points leagues: Luka Dončić, 57.3 fantasy points per game to 49.1. 9-cat leagues: Tyrese Maxey instead, 5th overall against 6th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Luka Dončić or Tyrese Maxey?
Luka Dončić is ahead in 5 (points, rebounds, assists, threes, field goal percentage); Tyrese Maxey in 4 (steals, blocks, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number