Amen Thompson vs Julius Randle: who to start in Week 3
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Julius Randle 4. For that week alone, start Julius Randle: 149.9 projected fantasy points to 112.6 for Amen Thompson. Over the season, Amen Thompson leads in both formats: 37.5 fantasy points a game to 37.5, and 36th against 87th 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
- #41
- 37.5 FP/G, slot 4.05, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #87
- -0.9 z, slot 8.03, $10
The call
Points leagues: Amen Thompson. 37.5 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 40th on our board to 41st.
9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, +1.1 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (36th to 87th).
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Julius Randle in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Julius Randle produces more: 40.5 fantasy points to 37.3, on 33.3 minutes a night against 36.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Julius Randle 4. For that week alone, start Julius Randle: 149.9 projected fantasy points to 112.6 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Amen Thompson | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.5 | 37.5 |
| Minutes | 36.3 | 33.3 |
| PointsPTS | 17.6 | 21.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.4 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.3 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.0% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 81.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 79 | 79 |
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 | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.3 | 40.5 |
| Points | 17.5 | 22.7 |
| Rebounds | 7.3 | 7.4 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 0.3 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 3.4 |
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 | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.2 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | +0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.4 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -1.5 |
| Total | +1.1 | -0.9 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Amen Thompson stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Amen Thompson | Julius Randle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#35) | -1.7 (#156) |
| REB | +0.2 (#54) | -1.4 (#107) |
| AST | +0.4 (#45) | -1.7 (#135) |
| STL | -0.2 (#62) | -0.8 (#87) |
| BLK | +1.2 (#32) | -0.1 (#67) |
| 3PM | +2.4 (#16) | -0.8 (#83) |
| FG% | -0.3 (#64) | -0.8 (#85) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#32) | -1.2 (#103) |
| TO | +1.2 (#41) | +0.6 (#52) |
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).
- Julius Randle: 4 games (Mon @NYK, Wed CHA, Sat @ATL, Sun @DAL), 2 back-to-backs.
Recent games
- Amen Thompson: 32.0 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 37.5 on the board.
- Julius Randle: 36.3 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 37.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Amen Thompson playing tonight? · Is Julius Randle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Amen Thompson, Julius Randle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Amen Thompson or Julius Randle?
Points leagues: Amen Thompson. 37.5 fantasy points per game against 37.5, 40th on our board to 41st. 9-cat leagues: Amen Thompson again, +1.1 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (36th to 87th).
Who wins more categories, Amen Thompson or Julius Randle?
Category by category, Amen Thompson is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Julius Randle in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Amen Thompson or Julius Randle?
Amen Thompson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Julius Randle 4. For that week alone, start Julius Randle: 149.9 projected fantasy points to 112.6 for Amen Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number