Cade Cunningham vs Scottie Barnes: who to start in Week 2
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 143.3 projected fantasy points to 123.8 for Scottie Barnes. Over the season, Cade Cunningham leads in both formats: 47.8 fantasy points a game to 41.3, and 17th against 19th 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 26, 4:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #8
- 47.8 FP/G, slot 1.08, $39
- 9-cat leagues
- #17
- +3.1 z, slot 2.05, $33
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #18
- 41.3 FP/G, slot 2.06, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #19
- +3.0 z, slot 2.07, $33
The call
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 47.8 fantasy points per game against 41.3, 8th on our board to 18th.
9-cat leagues: Cade Cunningham again, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +3.0 (17th to 19th).
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and 3PM) and Scottie Barnes in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cade Cunningham produces more: 51.0 fantasy points to 45.0, on 33.7 minutes a night against 33.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 143.3 projected fantasy points to 123.8 for Scottie Barnes.
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 | Cade Cunningham | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 47.8 | 41.3 |
| Minutes | 33.7 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 23.5 | 17.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.4 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 9.6 | 5.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.5% | 47.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.8% | 84.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 4.0 | 2.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 80 |
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 | Cade Cunningham | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 51.0 | 45.0 |
| Points | 25.1 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 8.2 |
| Assists | 10.2 | 6.2 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.9 |
| Turnovers | 4.2 | 3.1 |
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 | Cade Cunningham | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | +3.0 | +1.0 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | +1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | +1.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.0 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.6 | -1.2 |
| Total | +3.1 | +3.0 |
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 and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Scottie Barnes.
| Punt | Cade Cunningham | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.7 (#23) | +2.7 (#9) |
| REB | +3.2 (#17) | +2.2 (#22) |
| AST | -0.1 (#58) | +1.9 (#24) |
| STL | +2.0 (#24) | +1.7 (#26) |
| BLK | +2.3 (#23) | +1.5 (#31) |
| 3PM | +2.5 (#19) | +3.7 (#9) |
| FG% | +3.5 (#18) | +3.2 (#21) |
| FT% | +2.9 (#16) | +2.5 (#18) |
| TO | +5.7 (#8) | +4.2 (#15) |
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)
- Cade Cunningham: 3 games (Tue @NYK, Wed CHA, Fri @BKN), 1 back-to-back.
- Scottie Barnes: 3 games (Wed ORL, Fri ORL, Sun @LAL).
Recent games
- Cade Cunningham: 43.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 47.8 on the board.
- Scottie Barnes: 37.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 41.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cade Cunningham playing tonight? · Is Scottie Barnes playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cade Cunningham or Scottie Barnes?
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 47.8 fantasy points per game against 41.3, 8th on our board to 18th. 9-cat leagues: Cade Cunningham again, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +3.0 (17th to 19th).
Who wins more categories, Cade Cunningham or Scottie Barnes?
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and 3PM) and Scottie Barnes in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Cade Cunningham or Scottie Barnes?
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 143.3 projected fantasy points to 123.8 for Scottie Barnes.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 4:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number