Alex Caruso vs Keldon Johnson: who to start in Week 2
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Alex Caruso. Over the season, Keldon Johnson leads in points leagues (22.3 fantasy points a game to 18.2) and Alex Caruso in 9-cat leagues (172nd against 174th). 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 27, 2:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #228
- 18.2 FP/G, slot 19.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #172
- -3.0 z, slot 15.04
Day to day (Ankle)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #161
- 22.3 FP/G, slot 14.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #174
- -3.0 z, slot 15.06
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Keldon Johnson. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 18.2, 161st on our board to 228th.
9-cat leagues: Alex Caruso instead, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (172nd to 174th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Keldon Johnson in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Alex Caruso produces more: 35.6 fantasy points to 34.8, on 18.4 minutes a night against 23.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Alex Caruso.
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 | Alex Caruso | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 18.2 | 22.3 |
| Minutes | 18.4 | 23.0 |
| PointsPTS | 6.9 | 12.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.2 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 52.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.2% | 78.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 56 | 82 |
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 | Alex Caruso | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 34.8 |
| Points | 13.4 | 19.3 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 8.4 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 2.4 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 | Alex Caruso | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.2 |
| Total | -3.0 | -3.0 |
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 assists, steals, blocks, threes and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Keldon Johnson.
| Punt | Alex Caruso | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#130) | -2.4 (#187) |
| REB | -2.0 (#136) | -3.1 (#187) |
| AST | -2.4 (#172) | -2.0 (#148) |
| STL | -3.6 (#211) | -2.1 (#146) |
| BLK | -2.5 (#153) | -2.1 (#133) |
| 3PM | -2.5 (#166) | -2.5 (#165) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#158) | -4.0 (#205) |
| FT% | -3.0 (#177) | -3.0 (#180) |
| TO | -4.5 (#194) | -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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Alex Caruso: 3 games (Mon PHX, Wed @DAL, Sat @HOU), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Keldon Johnson: 3 games (Tue SAC, Wed @UTA, Sat MIN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Alex Caruso: 24.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 18.2 on the board.
- Keldon Johnson: 19.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 22.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Caruso playing tonight? · Is Keldon Johnson playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Caruso or Keldon Johnson?
Points leagues: Keldon Johnson. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 18.2, 161st on our board to 228th. 9-cat leagues: Alex Caruso instead, -3.0 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (172nd to 174th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Alex Caruso or Keldon Johnson?
Category by category, Alex Caruso is ahead in 6 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Keldon Johnson in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Alex Caruso or Keldon Johnson?
Alex Caruso plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Keldon Johnson 3. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 66.8 projected fantasy points to 54.5 for Alex Caruso.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 2:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number