Cade Cunningham vs Walker Kessler: who to start in Week 3
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 152.0 projected fantasy points to 140.6 for Cade Cunningham. Over the season, Cade Cunningham leads in points leagues (46.9 fantasy points a game to 38.0) and Walker Kessler in 9-cat leagues (12th against 21st). 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
- #7
- 46.9 FP/G, slot 1.07, $37
- 9-cat leagues
- #21
- +2.4 z, slot 2.09, $29
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #37
- 38.0 FP/G, slot 4.01, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #12
- +3.7 z, slot 1.12, $37
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 46.9 fantasy points per game against 38.0, 7th on our board to 37th.
9-cat leagues: Walker Kessler instead, +3.7 in summed z-scores against +2.4 (12th to 21st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Walker Kessler in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cade Cunningham produces more: 49.9 fantasy points to 44.6, on 33.8 minutes a night against 30.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 152.0 projected fantasy points to 140.6 for Cade Cunningham.
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 | Cade Cunningham | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 46.9 | 38.0 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 23.4 | 14.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 10.3 |
| AssistsAST | 9.1 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 2.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.8% | 73.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 79.9% | 62.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 5 |
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 | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 49.9 | 44.6 |
| Points | 24.9 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 12.0 |
| Assists | 9.7 | 2.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 4.0 | 2.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Cade Cunningham | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.2 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +1.9 |
| AssistsAST | +2.7 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.7 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | +3.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | +3.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.0 | -2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.3 | -0.4 |
| Total | +2.4 | +3.7 |
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
Punting rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Cade Cunningham.
| Punt | Cade Cunningham | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.1 (#28) | +4.0 (#7) |
| REB | +2.5 (#17) | +1.4 (#28) |
| AST | -0.4 (#69) | +4.5 (#8) |
| STL | +1.7 (#27) | +3.1 (#13) |
| BLK | +1.9 (#25) | -0.1 (#68) |
| 3PM | +1.9 (#26) | +4.9 (#5) |
| FG% | +3.0 (#18) | -0.2 (#60) |
| FT% | +2.3 (#21) | +5.8 (#4) |
| TO | +4.8 (#10) | +3.8 (#17) |
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)
- Cade Cunningham: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed PHI, Sun LAL).
- Walker Kessler: 4 games (Mon MIA, Wed @SAC, Fri POR, Sun @DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Cade Cunningham: 45.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 46.9 on the board.
- Walker Kessler: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 38.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cade Cunningham playing tonight? · Is Walker Kessler playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cade Cunningham
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cade Cunningham or Walker Kessler?
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 46.9 fantasy points per game against 38.0, 7th on our board to 37th. 9-cat leagues: Walker Kessler instead, +3.7 in summed z-scores against +2.4 (12th to 21st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cade Cunningham or Walker Kessler?
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Walker Kessler in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Cade Cunningham or Walker Kessler?
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 152.0 projected fantasy points to 140.6 for Cade Cunningham.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number