Ace Bailey vs Kyle Kuzma: who to start in Week 2
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 74.2 for Kyle Kuzma. Over the season, Ace Bailey leads in both formats: 26.1 fantasy points a game to 24.7, and 127th against 190th 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 Oct 28, 12:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #125
- 26.1 FP/G, slot 11.05, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -2.0 z, slot 11.07, $4
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #136
- 24.7 FP/G, slot 12.04, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #190
- -3.5 z, slot 16.10
The call
Points leagues: Ace Bailey. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 24.7, 125th on our board to 136th.
9-cat leagues: Ace Bailey again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -3.5 (127th to 190th).
Category by category, Ace Bailey is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Kyle Kuzma in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ace Bailey produces more: 34.1 fantasy points to 33.0, on 27.5 minutes a night against 27.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 74.2 for Kyle Kuzma.
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 | Ace Bailey | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.1 | 24.7 |
| Minutes | 27.5 | 27.0 |
| PointsPTS | 13.6 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.7% | 48.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.0% | 72.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 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 | Ace Bailey | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.1 | 33.0 |
| Points | 17.8 | 17.2 |
| Rebounds | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 2.4 |
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 | Ace Bailey | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| Total | -2.0 | -3.5 |
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: Ace Bailey stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Ace Bailey | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#143) | -2.9 (#211) |
| REB | -1.9 (#127) | -3.6 (#216) |
| AST | -1.3 (#114) | -3.1 (#197) |
| STL | -1.1 (#102) | -2.6 (#168) |
| BLK | -2.6 (#159) | -3.0 (#168) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#154) | -3.2 (#189) |
| FG% | -1.5 (#108) | -3.9 (#201) |
| FT% | -1.9 (#133) | -3.0 (#183) |
| TO | -2.6 (#123) | -3.7 (#163) |
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)
- Ace Bailey: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back.
- Kyle Kuzma: 3 games (Mon IND, Wed HOU, Sat CLE).
Recent games
- Ace Bailey: 31.7 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 26.1 on the board.
- Kyle Kuzma: 27.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 24.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ace Bailey playing tonight? · Is Kyle Kuzma playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ace Bailey
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ace Bailey or Kyle Kuzma?
Points leagues: Ace Bailey. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 24.7, 125th on our board to 136th. 9-cat leagues: Ace Bailey again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -3.5 (127th to 190th).
Who wins more categories, Ace Bailey or Kyle Kuzma?
Category by category, Ace Bailey 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 2, Ace Bailey or Kyle Kuzma?
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 74.2 for Kyle Kuzma.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number