Fantasy basketball points vs categories leagues: why one player gets two ranks

Two formats, two different questions

A points league gives every stat a fixed value. On the Parlae board that is 1 per point, 1.2 per rebound, 1.5 per assist, 3 per steal, 3 per block and minus 1 per turnover. Add it up per game and the biggest number is the best player. Shooting percentages do not exist, so a missed shot costs nothing, and a 3-pointer counts only for the points it scores.

A 9-category league scores each category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, 3-pointers made, FG%, FT%, turnovers) against the top 156 players and adds the nine scores. Every category carries the same weight, so being far above the pool in steals counts as much as being far above it in points, and FG%, FT% and turnovers count in full.

Usually the answers match. Of the top 100 on the points board, 83 are also in the top 100 on the 9-cat board. The other 17 are where the formats split.

The players who fall from points to 9-cat

Source: Parlae points and 9-cat boards, Oct 12 2026, from Sleeper's 2025-26 season totals. Places lost is the 9-cat rank minus the points rank.

Turnovers are the costliest category for four of the twelve, FG% for three, FT% and rebounds for two each, steals for one. The turnover group is simple arithmetic. In points, Morant's 3.5 turnovers take 3.5 off his 35.8 fantasy points per game, under a tenth. In 9-cat, turnovers are a full category, and his -2.1 there is most of his -2.4 total. Without it he would sit at -0.3.

Free throws work the same way on volume. Siakam's 69.3% on 6.1 attempts costs nothing in points and -1.9 in 9-cat. The biggest name with this problem misses the table only because his fall is smaller in places: Giannis Antetokounmpo is 5th in points and 50th in 9-cat, with an FT% score of -4.5 on 65.0% shooting.

Same fantasy points, 100 places apart

Compare two players at the same position with almost the same points line.

Paolo Banchero and Lauri Markkanen, both PF. Points ranks 25 and 23, at 40.8 and 41.2 fantasy points a game. In 9-cat, Banchero is 111th and Markkanen 8th, 103 places apart. Banchero turned it over 3.1 times a game and shot 77.5% on 8.2 free throws. Markkanen turned it over 1.5 times, shot 89.6% at the line and made 2.7 threes. Markkanen's risk is availability: 42 games last season, and Sleeper lists him GTD (neck) today.

Stephon Castle and Derrick White, both SG. Points ranks 48 and 47, at 35.2 and 35.3. In 9-cat, Castle is 149th and White 29th, 120 places apart. White's 90.2% at the line, 2.7 threes, 1.3 blocks and 1.7 turnovers outweigh his 39.4% from the field. Castle's 3.2 turnovers and 73.4% at the line on 5.6 attempts do the damage.

Alperen Şengün and Chet Holmgren, both C. Here the order flips: Şengün is 15th in points and 42nd in 9-cat, with -1.7 in FT% and -1.6 in turnovers. Holmgren is 43rd in points and 18th in 9-cat, with +2.5 in blocks and +1.3 in FG%.

The players 9-cat likes more

Source: Parlae points and 9-cat boards, Oct 12 2026. Places gained is the points rank minus the 9-cat rank.

Steals and blocks lead this list. Wallace averaged 1.9 steals in 26.6 minutes. In points those steals are worth 5.7 fantasy points a game, and his 22.2 total leaves him 178th, outside the 156 players a 12-team, 13-round league rosters. In 9-cat, a +2.6 in a scarce category puts him 90th. Huff's 1.9 blocks do the same work.

Bridges is the odd one: his best category is turnovers, 1.0 a game in 32.8 minutes, across 82, 82 and 81 games the last three seasons. Compare him with RJ Barrett, also a small forward: Barrett is 71st in points and 146th in 9-cat, Bridges 93rd and 38th.

One caution on the risers: Mark Williams (shoulder) is listed Out on Sleeper today.

Where the auction money goes

The formats also spend a $200 budget differently. Across 12 teams there is $2,400 in the room.

• Top 12 players: $486 in points, $575 in 9-cat.
• Ranks 13 to 36: $661 in both.
• Ranks 37 to 72: $642 in points, $614 in 9-cat.
• Ranks 73 to 156: $611 in points, $550 in 9-cat.

So 9-cat puts about 24% of the money on the top 12 (575 of 2,400) against about 20% in points (486 of 2,400). The reason is how far the best players sit above replacement. In points, Jokić's 62.1 is 38.9 above the replacement level of 23.2, and the 12th player, Donovan Mitchell at 44.3, is 21.1 above it, a ratio of about 1.8. In 9-cat, Jokić's 10.6 is 13.3 above the replacement level of -2.7, and the 12th player, Scottie Barnes at 3.7, is 6.4 above it, a ratio of about 2.1. The prices follow: $59 against $32 in points, $73 against $35 in 9-cat.

The top three cost $157 in points (Jokić $59, Luka Dončić $52, Victor Wembanyama $46) and $201 in 9-cat (Jokić $73, Wembanyama $67, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander $61). These are board values, not what your room will pay; the auction values guide has the full list.

What to do on draft night

1. Confirm the format before you open a list. Use the points board for points leagues and the 9-cat board for head-to-head categories or roto.
2. In points, take volume. Banchero at 25 and Siakam at 28 are points picks. Their turnovers and free throws cost little there.
3. In 9-cat, take the turnover-heavy names only if you punt turnovers. Banchero rises to 65th, Morant to 68th and Castle to 78th once turnovers are removed. If you are not punting them, let these players go. The punting guide has the arithmetic.
4. In a 9-cat auction, budget for the top. The top 12 take $89 more than in points (575 minus 486).
5. Skip the specialists in points. Wallace and Huff fall outside the points top 156 but are late-round targets in 9-cat.