Alex Sarr vs Desmond Bane: who to start in Week 3
Alex Sarr plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Desmond Bane 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Alex Sarr. Over the season, Alex Sarr leads in points leagues (32.5 fantasy points a game to 32.4) and Desmond Bane in 9-cat leagues (45th against 62nd). 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 2, 10:35 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #72
- 32.5 FP/G, slot 6.12, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #62
- -0.1 z, slot 6.02, $15
Out (Knee)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #73
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 7.01, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #45
- +0.5 z, slot 4.09, $18
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 72nd on our board to 73rd.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (45th to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Desmond Bane in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Alex Sarr produces more: 43.8 fantasy points to 34.5, on 26.7 minutes a night against 33.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Alex Sarr plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Desmond Bane 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Alex Sarr.
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 | Alex Sarr | Desmond Bane |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.5 | 32.4 |
| Minutes | 26.7 | 33.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.3 | 19.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 4.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.9% | 45.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.9% | 89.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 48 | 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 Sarr | Desmond Bane |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.8 | 34.5 |
| Points | 19.3 | 20.6 |
| Rebounds | 9.3 | 4.2 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 3.9 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 2.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 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 | Alex Sarr | Desmond Bane |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | -0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +2.0 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +1.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| Total | -0.1 | +0.5 |
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
Punting points, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Alex Sarr.
| Punt | Alex Sarr | Desmond Bane |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.2 (#54) | +0.0 (#63) |
| REB | -0.8 (#92) | +1.3 (#30) |
| AST | +0.4 (#46) | +0.5 (#41) |
| STL | +0.2 (#54) | +0.5 (#44) |
| BLK | -2.4 (#147) | +0.6 (#43) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#43) | -0.4 (#71) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#80) | +1.3 (#38) |
| FT% | +0.7 (#41) | -0.8 (#87) |
| TO | -0.7 (#78) | +0.7 (#51) |
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)
- Alex Sarr: 4 games (Mon @ORL, Wed ATL, Fri @ATL, Sat @OKC), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Mon WAS, Thu @PHX, Sat @GSW), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Alex Sarr: 23.8 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board.
- Desmond Bane: 28.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Alex Sarr playing tonight? · Is Desmond Bane playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Alex Sarr, Desmond Bane
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Alex Sarr or Desmond Bane?
Points leagues: Alex Sarr. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 72nd on our board to 73rd. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (45th to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Alex Sarr or Desmond Bane?
Category by category, Alex Sarr is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Desmond Bane in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Alex Sarr or Desmond Bane?
Alex Sarr plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Desmond Bane 3. For that week alone, start Desmond Bane: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Alex Sarr.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 2, 2026 at 10:35 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number