Aaron Nesmith vs Kyle Kuzma: who to start in Week 3
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyle Kuzma 4. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 96.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Aaron Nesmith. Over the season, Kyle Kuzma leads in both formats: 24.2 fantasy points a game to 22.0, and 217th against 219th in 9-cat. 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)
- Points leagues
- #156
- 24.2 FP/G, slot 13.12, $1
- 9-cat leagues
- #217
- -4.0 z, slot 19.01
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.2 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 156th on our board to 184th.
9-cat leagues: Kyle Kuzma again, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (217th to 219th).
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Kyle Kuzma in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Kyle Kuzma produces more: 33.0 fantasy points to 28.6, on 26.4 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), Kyle Kuzma 4. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 96.9 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 | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.0 | 24.2 |
| Minutes | 27.8 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.9% | 48.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.2% | 69.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 69 |
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 | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 33.0 |
| Points | 17.3 | 17.1 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 2.3 |
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 | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.9 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | +0.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.3 |
| Total | -4.0 | -4.0 |
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 rebounds, assists, steals and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Aaron Nesmith.
| Punt | Aaron Nesmith | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#251) | -3.3 (#233) |
| REB | -3.1 (#199) | -3.9 (#241) |
| AST | -3.2 (#206) | -3.6 (#222) |
| STL | -2.9 (#182) | -3.1 (#195) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#203) | -3.4 (#192) |
| 3PM | -4.5 (#267) | -3.5 (#217) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#160) | -4.4 (#231) |
| FT% | -4.4 (#241) | -3.3 (#196) |
| TO | -4.7 (#207) | -4.4 (#189) |
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.
- Kyle Kuzma: 4 games (Mon @MIN, Wed @BOS, Fri TOR, Sun BOS).
Recent games
- Aaron Nesmith: 18.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 22.0 on the board.
- Kyle Kuzma: 23.1 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 24.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Nesmith playing tonight? · Is Kyle Kuzma playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Nesmith or Kyle Kuzma?
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.2 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 156th on our board to 184th. 9-cat leagues: Kyle Kuzma again, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (217th to 219th).
Who wins more categories, Aaron Nesmith or Kyle Kuzma?
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Kyle Kuzma in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Aaron Nesmith or Kyle Kuzma?
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyle Kuzma 4. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 96.9 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