Cedric Coward vs De'Anthony Melton: who to start in Week 1
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), De'Anthony Melton 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 71.5 for De'Anthony Melton. Over the season, Cedric Coward leads in both formats: 26.0 fantasy points a game to 23.8, and 140th against 141st 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #124
- 26.0 FP/G, slot 11.04, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #140
- -2.2 z, slot 12.08, $3
Game-time decision (Wrist)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #150
- 23.8 FP/G, slot 13.06, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #141
- -2.2 z, slot 12.09, $3
The call
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 23.8, 124th on our board to 150th.
9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (140th to 141st).
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and De'Anthony Melton in 2 (STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, De'Anthony Melton produces more: 37.5 fantasy points to 36.1, on 22.9 minutes a night against 25.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), De'Anthony Melton 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 71.5 for De'Anthony Melton.
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 | Cedric Coward | De'Anthony Melton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.0 | 23.8 |
| Minutes | 25.9 | 22.9 |
| PointsPTS | 13.2 | 12.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 3.1 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 42.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 84.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 62 | 49 |
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 | Cedric Coward | De'Anthony Melton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 37.5 |
| Points | 18.3 | 19.1 |
| Rebounds | 8.3 | 4.9 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 2.9 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Cedric Coward | De'Anthony Melton |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.1 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | +1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| Total | -2.2 | -2.2 |
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, rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to De'Anthony Melton.
| Punt | Cedric Coward | De'Anthony Melton |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#143) | -1.5 (#137) |
| REB | -2.3 (#155) | -1.1 (#98) |
| AST | -1.7 (#135) | -1.7 (#132) |
| STL | -1.1 (#97) | -3.8 (#221) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#127) | -1.8 (#119) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#139) | -2.2 (#148) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#123) | -1.2 (#93) |
| FT% | -2.6 (#159) | -2.6 (#162) |
| TO | -2.6 (#130) | -2.3 (#118) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Cedric Coward: 3 games (Wed UTA, Fri @GSW, Sun @SAC), listed GTD.
- De'Anthony Melton: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Cedric Coward: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.0 on the board.
- De'Anthony Melton: 22.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 23.8 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cedric Coward playing tonight? · Is De'Anthony Melton playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cedric Coward
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cedric Coward or De'Anthony Melton?
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.0 fantasy points per game against 23.8, 124th on our board to 150th. 9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (140th to 141st).
Who wins more categories, Cedric Coward or De'Anthony Melton?
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK, FG% and TO) and De'Anthony Melton in 2 (STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cedric Coward or De'Anthony Melton?
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), De'Anthony Melton 3. For that week alone, start Cedric Coward: 78.1 projected fantasy points to 71.5 for De'Anthony Melton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number