Amen Thompson vs James Harden: who to start in Week 2
Amen Thompson plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), James Harden 4. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 154.9 for Amen Thompson. Over the season, James Harden leads in both formats: 40.9 fantasy points a game to 38.7, and 28th against 29th 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 27, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #31
- 38.7 FP/G, slot 3.07, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #29
- +1.9 z, slot 3.05, $26
- Points leagues
- #22
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.10, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #28
- +1.9 z, slot 3.04, $26
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: James Harden. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 38.7, 22nd on our board to 31st.
9-cat leagues: James Harden again, +1.9 in summed z-scores against +1.9 (28th to 29th).
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and James Harden in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, James Harden produces more: 42.1 fantasy points to 38.0, on 34.9 minutes a night against 36.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Amen Thompson plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), James Harden 4. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 154.9 for Amen Thompson.
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 | Amen Thompson | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.7 | 40.9 |
| Minutes | 36.7 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.0 | 22.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 5.0 | 7.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 2.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.3% | 42.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.2% | 87.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 3.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 70 |
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 | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.0 | 42.1 |
| Points | 17.7 | 23.0 |
| Rebounds | 7.9 | 5.0 |
| Assists | 4.9 | 8.0 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.3 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 3.8 |
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 | Amen Thompson | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.1 | -0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +0.7 | +2.1 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | +1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -1.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -2.2 |
| Total | +1.9 | +1.9 |
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, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Amen Thompson.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.5 (#26) | +0.8 (#39) |
| REB | +0.7 (#42) | +2.4 (#19) |
| AST | +1.1 (#35) | -0.3 (#64) |
| STL | +0.8 (#38) | +1.6 (#27) |
| BLK | +1.9 (#26) | +2.4 (#21) |
| 3PM | +3.1 (#14) | +0.3 (#49) |
| FG% | +0.4 (#52) | +3.8 (#12) |
| FT% | +1.9 (#25) | -0.1 (#58) |
| TO | +2.5 (#27) | +4.1 (#17) |
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)
- Amen Thompson: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- James Harden: 4 games (Mon MIN, Wed WAS, Thu @ATL, Sat @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 35.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 38.7 on the board.
- James Harden: 33.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is James Harden playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson, James Harden
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or James Harden?
Points leagues: James Harden. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 38.7, 22nd on our board to 31st. 9-cat leagues: James Harden again, +1.9 in summed z-scores against +1.9 (28th to 29th).
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or James Harden?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and James Harden in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Amen Thompson or James Harden?
Amen Thompson plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), James Harden 4. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 154.9 for Amen Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number