Aaron Nesmith vs De'Andre Hunter: who to start in Week 3
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), De'Andre Hunter 4. For that week alone, start De'Andre Hunter: 88.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Aaron Nesmith. Over the season, De'Andre Hunter leads in points leagues (22.1 fantasy points a game to 22.0) and Aaron Nesmith in 9-cat leagues (219th against 247th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #184
- 22.0 FP/G, slot 16.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #219
- -4.0 z, slot 19.03
Out (Rest)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #179
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 15.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #247
- -4.8 z, slot 21.07
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: De'Andre Hunter. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 179th on our board to 184th.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Nesmith instead, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.8 (219th to 247th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and De'Andre Hunter in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, De'Andre Hunter produces more: 29.5 fantasy points to 28.6, on 27.0 minutes a night against 27.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), De'Andre Hunter 4. For that week alone, start De'Andre Hunter: 88.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Aaron Nesmith.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Aaron Nesmith | De'Andre Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.0 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 27.8 | 27.0 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 4.3 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.9% | 43.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.2% | 78.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 45 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Aaron Nesmith | De'Andre Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 29.5 |
| Points | 17.3 | 18.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 2.0 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Aaron Nesmith | De'Andre Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.9 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | -0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.5 |
| Total | -4.0 | -4.8 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
No punt changes the answer: Aaron Nesmith stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Aaron Nesmith | De'Andre Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#251) | -4.3 (#308) |
| REB | -3.1 (#199) | -4.2 (#269) |
| AST | -3.2 (#206) | -3.8 (#237) |
| STL | -2.9 (#182) | -3.5 (#221) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#203) | -4.0 (#216) |
| 3PM | -4.5 (#267) | -5.0 (#300) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#160) | -4.2 (#218) |
| FT% | -4.4 (#241) | -4.7 (#253) |
| TO | -4.7 (#207) | -5.4 (#233) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Aaron Nesmith: 3 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MEM, Sat DEN), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- De'Andre Hunter: 4 games (Mon @DAL, Wed LAL, Fri SAS, Sun MIA).
Recent games
- Aaron Nesmith: 18.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 22.0 on the board.
- De'Andre Hunter: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 22.1 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Nesmith playing tonight? · Is De'Andre Hunter playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Nesmith or De'Andre Hunter?
Points leagues: De'Andre Hunter. 22.1 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 179th on our board to 184th. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Nesmith instead, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.8 (219th to 247th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Nesmith or De'Andre Hunter?
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and De'Andre Hunter in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Aaron Nesmith or De'Andre Hunter?
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), De'Andre Hunter 4. For that week alone, start De'Andre Hunter: 88.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Aaron Nesmith.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number