Aaron Nesmith vs Quentin Grimes: who to start in Week 3
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Quentin Grimes 4. For that week alone, start Quentin Grimes: 89.1 projected fantasy points to 66.1 for Aaron Nesmith. Over the season, Quentin Grimes leads in both formats: 22.3 fantasy points a game to 22.0, and 215th against 216th 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, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #182
- 22.0 FP/G, slot 16.02
- 9-cat leagues
- #216
- -4.0 z, slot 18.12
Day to day (Rest)
- Points leagues
- #176
- 22.3 FP/G, slot 15.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #215
- -4.0 z, slot 18.11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Quentin Grimes. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 176th on our board to 182nd.
9-cat leagues: Quentin Grimes again, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (215th to 216th).
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Quentin Grimes in 3 (AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Nesmith produces more: 28.6 fantasy points to 28.3, on 27.8 minutes a night against 28.3. 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), Quentin Grimes 4. For that week alone, start Quentin Grimes: 89.1 projected fantasy points to 66.1 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 | Quentin Grimes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.0 | 22.3 |
| Minutes | 27.8 | 28.3 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 11.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.9 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.9% | 45.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.2% | 79.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 45 | 75 |
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 | Quentin Grimes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 28.3 |
| Points | 17.3 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 2.1 |
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 | Quentin Grimes |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.4 |
| 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 | Quentin Grimes |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#256) | -3.1 (#229) |
| REB | -3.1 (#198) | -3.2 (#199) |
| AST | -3.1 (#201) | -3.8 (#236) |
| STL | -2.8 (#181) | -3.4 (#212) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#206) | -3.4 (#186) |
| 3PM | -4.5 (#260) | -3.7 (#222) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#156) | -3.9 (#203) |
| FT% | -4.4 (#238) | -3.9 (#220) |
| TO | -4.7 (#200) | -4.5 (#192) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Aaron Nesmith: 3 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MEM, Sat DEN), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Quentin Grimes: 4 games (Mon MIA, Wed @SAC, Fri POR, Sun @DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Aaron Nesmith: 18.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 22.0 on the board.
- Quentin Grimes: 17.6 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 22.3 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Nesmith playing tonight? · Is Quentin Grimes playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Quentin Grimes
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Nesmith or Quentin Grimes?
Points leagues: Quentin Grimes. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 22.0, 176th on our board to 182nd. 9-cat leagues: Quentin Grimes again, -4.0 in summed z-scores against -4.0 (215th to 216th).
Who wins more categories, Aaron Nesmith or Quentin Grimes?
Category by category, Aaron Nesmith is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Quentin Grimes in 3 (AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Aaron Nesmith or Quentin Grimes?
Aaron Nesmith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Quentin Grimes 4. For that week alone, start Quentin Grimes: 89.1 projected fantasy points to 66.1 for Aaron Nesmith.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number