Anthony Davis vs Cooper Flagg: who to start in Week 3
Anthony Davis plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Cooper Flagg 4. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 172.9 projected fantasy points to 171.8 for Cooper Flagg. Over the season, Anthony Davis leads in points leagues (43.2 fantasy points a game to 43.0) and Cooper Flagg in 9-cat leagues (13th against 22nd). 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
- #14
- 43.2 FP/G, slot 2.02, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #22
- +2.4 z, slot 2.10, $29
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #16
- 43.0 FP/G, slot 2.04, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #13
- +3.5 z, slot 2.01, $36
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 43.0, 14th on our board to 16th.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, +3.5 in summed z-scores against +2.4 (13th to 22nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and TO) and Cooper Flagg in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Anthony Davis produces more: 48.8 fantasy points to 46.6, on 31.9 minutes a night against 33.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anthony Davis plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Cooper Flagg 4. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 172.9 projected fantasy points to 171.8 for Cooper Flagg.
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 | Anthony Davis | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.2 | 43.0 |
| Minutes | 31.9 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 20.9 | 22.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.5 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 5.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.8% | 49.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.0% | 83.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 20 | 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 | Anthony Davis | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 48.8 | 46.6 |
| Points | 23.6 | 24.4 |
| Rebounds | 11.9 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 3.0 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Anthony Davis | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.0 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | +1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.6 | +0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | +0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.0 | -0.6 |
| Total | +2.4 | +3.5 |
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 assists, steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Anthony Davis.
| Punt | Anthony Davis | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.6 (#21) | +2.4 (#12) |
| REB | +0.1 (#57) | +3.1 (#12) |
| AST | +2.8 (#14) | +2.7 (#16) |
| STL | +2.1 (#19) | +2.1 (#20) |
| BLK | +0.5 (#45) | +2.8 (#15) |
| 3PM | +3.3 (#12) | +3.9 (#8) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#34) | +3.1 (#17) |
| FT% | +2.9 (#12) | +2.8 (#14) |
| TO | +2.4 (#28) | +4.2 (#14) |
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)
- Anthony Davis: 4 games (Mon @ORL, Wed ATL, Fri @ATL, Sat @OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- Cooper Flagg: 4 games (Mon SAC, Wed @SAS, Fri UTA, Sun BKN).
Recent games
- Anthony Davis: 41.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 43.2 on the board.
- Cooper Flagg: 48.7 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 43.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? · Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cooper Flagg
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Davis or Cooper Flagg?
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 43.0, 14th on our board to 16th. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, +3.5 in summed z-scores against +2.4 (13th to 22nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Cooper Flagg?
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and TO) and Cooper Flagg in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Anthony Davis or Cooper Flagg?
Anthony Davis plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Cooper Flagg 4. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 172.9 projected fantasy points to 171.8 for Cooper Flagg.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number