Aaron Nesmith vs Dylan Cardwell: who to start in Week 2
Aaron Nesmith plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Cardwell 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Nesmith: 90.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Dylan Cardwell. Over the season, Aaron Nesmith leads in points leagues (22.5 fantasy points a game to 22.3) and Dylan Cardwell in 9-cat leagues (138th against 211th). 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 Oct 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #159
- 22.5 FP/G, slot 14.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #211
- -4.0 z, slot 18.07
Game-time decision (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #160
- 22.3 FP/G, slot 14.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #138
- -2.2 z, slot 12.06, $3
Out (Calf)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Aaron Nesmith. 22.5 fantasy points per game against 22.3, 159th on our board to 160th.
9-cat leagues: Dylan Cardwell instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (138th to 211th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Dylan Cardwell in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Dylan Cardwell produces more: 39.0 fantasy points to 28.4, on 20.6 minutes a night against 28.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Aaron Nesmith plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Cardwell 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Nesmith: 90.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Dylan Cardwell.
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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Aaron Nesmith | Dylan Cardwell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.5 | 22.3 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 20.6 |
| PointsPTS | 13.5 | 5.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.2 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.4% | 58.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.1% | 51.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 44 |
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 | Dylan Cardwell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.4 | 39.0 |
| Points | 17.0 | 9.4 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 13.2 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Aaron Nesmith | Dylan Cardwell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -1.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.9 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.4 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.6 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.3 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +1.2 |
| Total | -4.0 | -2.2 |
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
Punting blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Aaron Nesmith.
| Punt | Aaron Nesmith | Dylan Cardwell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.5 (#248) | -0.2 (#68) |
| REB | -3.4 (#213) | -3.4 (#210) |
| AST | -3.2 (#199) | -1.0 (#94) |
| STL | -2.7 (#174) | -1.3 (#110) |
| BLK | -3.8 (#209) | -4.3 (#237) |
| 3PM | -4.7 (#259) | -0.4 (#72) |
| FG% | -2.8 (#153) | -3.4 (#180) |
| FT% | -4.2 (#220) | -1.0 (#97) |
| TO | -4.7 (#198) | -3.5 (#160) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Aaron Nesmith: 4 games (Mon @MIL, Wed PHI, Fri @MIA, Sun BKN), 1 back-to-back, listed GTD.
- Dylan Cardwell: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu @NOP, Sat @MEM), listed Out.
Recent games
- Aaron Nesmith: 14.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 22.5 on the board.
- Dylan Cardwell: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Nesmith playing tonight? · Is Dylan Cardwell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Nesmith or Dylan Cardwell?
Points leagues: Aaron Nesmith. 22.5 fantasy points per game against 22.3, 159th on our board to 160th. 9-cat leagues: Dylan Cardwell instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (138th to 211th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Nesmith or Dylan Cardwell?
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Dylan Cardwell in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Aaron Nesmith or Dylan Cardwell?
Aaron Nesmith plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Cardwell 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Nesmith: 90.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Dylan Cardwell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number