Anthony Davis vs Kawhi Leonard: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Kawhi Leonard: 137.7 projected fantasy points to 135.1 for Anthony Davis. Over the season, Kawhi Leonard leads in both formats: 45.9 fantasy points a game to 45.0, and 4th against 13th 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 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #11
- 45.0 FP/G, slot 1.11, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #13
- +3.5 z, slot 2.01, $34
- Points leagues
- #9
- 45.9 FP/G, slot 1.09, $35
- 9-cat leagues
- #4
- +7.7 z, slot 1.04, $57
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kawhi Leonard. 45.9 fantasy points per game against 45.0, 9th on our board to 11th.
9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard again, +7.7 in summed z-scores against +3.5 (4th to 13th).
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Kawhi Leonard in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kawhi Leonard produces more: 52.3 fantasy points to 51.5, on 31.6 minutes a night against 31.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Kawhi Leonard: 137.7 projected fantasy points to 135.1 for Anthony Davis.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Anthony Davis | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.0 | 45.9 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 31.6 |
| PointsPTS | 21.2 | 27.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.1 | 6.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.9 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 2.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.9% | 49.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.9% | 90.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 20 | 65 |
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 | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 51.5 | 52.3 |
| Points | 24.3 | 31.5 |
| Rebounds | 12.7 | 7.2 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.6 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 2.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Anthony Davis | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.4 | +0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +2.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.9 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.6 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +2.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -0.1 |
| Total | +3.5 | +7.7 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Kawhi Leonard stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Anthony Davis | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.6 (#9) | +5.6 (#4) |
| REB | +0.8 (#40) | +7.7 (#4) |
| AST | +3.8 (#10) | +7.5 (#2) |
| STL | +3.0 (#15) | +4.8 (#4) |
| BLK | +1.3 (#34) | +8.3 (#3) |
| 3PM | +4.5 (#6) | +6.3 (#4) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#25) | +7.9 (#4) |
| FT% | +4.3 (#8) | +5.3 (#6) |
| TO | +3.8 (#18) | +7.9 (#6) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Anthony Davis: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Kawhi Leonard: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
Recent games
- Anthony Davis: 60.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 45.0 on the board.
- Kawhi Leonard: 48.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 45.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? · Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kawhi Leonard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Davis or Kawhi Leonard?
Points leagues: Kawhi Leonard. 45.9 fantasy points per game against 45.0, 9th on our board to 11th. 9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard again, +7.7 in summed z-scores against +3.5 (4th to 13th).
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Kawhi Leonard?
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Kawhi Leonard in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anthony Davis or Kawhi Leonard?
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Kawhi Leonard: 137.7 projected fantasy points to 135.1 for Anthony Davis.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number