Brandin Podziemski vs Josh Hart: who to start in Week 3
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Josh Hart 3. For that week alone, start Josh Hart: 89.0 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Brandin Podziemski. Over the season, Josh Hart leads in both formats: 29.7 fantasy points a game to 29.2, and 72nd against 106th 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, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #99
- 29.2 FP/G, slot 9.03, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #106
- -1.4 z, slot 9.10, $7
- Points leagues
- #96
- 29.7 FP/G, slot 8.12, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.5 z, slot 6.12, $13
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Josh Hart. 29.7 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 96th on our board to 99th.
9-cat leagues: Josh Hart again, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (72nd to 106th).
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Josh Hart in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Brandin Podziemski produces more: 35.2 fantasy points to 34.8, on 29.9 minutes a night against 30.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Josh Hart 3. For that week alone, start Josh Hart: 89.0 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Brandin Podziemski.
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 | Brandin Podziemski | Josh Hart |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.2 | 29.7 |
| Minutes | 29.9 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 14.7 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 7.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.7% | 47.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 70.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 66 |
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 | Brandin Podziemski | Josh Hart |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.2 | 34.8 |
| Points | 17.7 | 12.8 |
| Rebounds | 6.1 | 8.6 |
| Assists | 4.9 | 5.3 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Brandin Podziemski | Josh Hart |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.0 |
| Total | -1.4 | -0.5 |
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 rebounds flips the 9-cat answer to Brandin Podziemski.
| Punt | Brandin Podziemski | Josh Hart |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#118) | +0.5 (#46) |
| REB | -1.2 (#103) | -1.2 (#104) |
| AST | -1.7 (#136) | -0.9 (#91) |
| STL | -1.6 (#123) | -1.5 (#120) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#82) | +0.2 (#53) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#132) | -0.4 (#72) |
| FG% | -1.1 (#95) | -0.5 (#75) |
| FT% | -1.1 (#99) | +0.0 (#57) |
| TO | -1.8 (#106) | -0.5 (#74) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL), 1 back-to-back.
- Josh Hart: 3 games (Mon BKN, Wed CHI, Sat @CLE).
Recent games
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 29.2 on the board.
- Josh Hart: 28.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 29.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is Josh Hart playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Brandin Podziemski
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandin Podziemski or Josh Hart?
Points leagues: Josh Hart. 29.7 fantasy points per game against 29.2, 96th on our board to 99th. 9-cat leagues: Josh Hart again, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (72nd to 106th).
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Josh Hart?
Category by category, Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Josh Hart in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Brandin Podziemski or Josh Hart?
Brandin Podziemski plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Josh Hart 3. For that week alone, start Josh Hart: 89.0 projected fantasy points to 87.7 for Brandin Podziemski.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number