Joel Embiid or Paolo Banchero: who to draft in 2026-27 fantasy basketball

Joel Embiid wins 4 of the nine categories, Paolo Banchero wins 4, and 1 is too close to call.

Our board separates them by 4 picks; consensus ADP separates them by 24 picks, with Paolo Banchero going earlier in the room.
Against the 181 ranked players in this set, Joel Embiid projects above average in 6 of the nine categories and Paolo Banchero in 3.
They do not fill the same slot: Joel Embiid is C, Paolo Banchero is PF.
The board grades Joel Embiid "moderate" for availability and Paolo Banchero "durable".
Both rank inside the 181 players this comparison set is drawn from: Joel Embiid 33rd, Paolo Banchero 37th.

Category by category

Projected per game for 2026-27, nine-category scoring. Turnovers count fewest-first.
Category	Joel Embiid	Paolo Banchero	Edge
PTS	22.3	24.2	Paolo Banchero wins
REB	8.2	7.8	too close to call
AST	3.9	5.6	Paolo Banchero wins
STL	0.7	0.8	Paolo Banchero wins
BLK	1.0	0.6	Joel Embiid wins
3PM	1.2	1.6	Paolo Banchero wins
TO	2.5	3.2	Joel Embiid wins
FG%	48.1%	46.0%	Joel Embiid wins
FT%	85.1%	77.0%	Joel Embiid wins

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