Amen Thompson vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 3
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Amen Thompson: 112.6 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr.. Over the season, Amen Thompson leads in both formats: 37.5 fantasy points a game to 31.7, and 36th against 40th 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
- #40
- 37.5 FP/G, slot 4.04, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #36
- +1.1 z, slot 3.12, $22
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #77
- 31.7 FP/G, slot 7.05, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +0.7 z, slot 4.04, $20
The call
Points leagues: Amen Thompson. 37.5 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 40th on our board to 77th.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, +1.1 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (36th to 40th).
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Amen Thompson produces more: 37.3 fantasy points to 32.7, on 36.3 minutes a night against 34.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Amen Thompson: 112.6 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr..
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 | Amen Thompson | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.5 | 31.7 |
| Minutes | 36.3 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 17.6 | 16.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.4 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.0% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 77 |
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 | Amen Thompson | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.3 | 32.7 |
| Points | 17.5 | 17.4 |
| Rebounds | 7.3 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Amen Thompson | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.2 | +0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | +1.1 | +0.7 |
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 Jabari Smith Jr..
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#35) | +0.7 (#37) |
| REB | +0.2 (#54) | +0.4 (#51) |
| AST | +0.4 (#45) | +1.5 (#28) |
| STL | -0.2 (#62) | +1.3 (#34) |
| BLK | +1.2 (#32) | +0.1 (#56) |
| 3PM | +2.4 (#16) | -0.2 (#63) |
| FG% | -0.3 (#64) | +1.1 (#39) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#32) | +0.5 (#43) |
| TO | +1.2 (#41) | -0.2 (#67) |
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)
- Amen Thompson: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 32.0 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 37.5 on the board.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 33.5 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 31.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Amen Thompson. 37.5 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 40th on our board to 77th. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, +1.1 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (36th to 40th).
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 4 (BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Amen Thompson: 112.6 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number