Cedric Coward vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 2
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward. Over the season, Cedric Coward leads in both formats: 26.4 fantasy points a game to 20.2, and 125th against 127th 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, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #120
- 26.4 FP/G, slot 10.12, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #125
- -1.9 z, slot 11.05, $5
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #203
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -1.9 z, slot 11.07, $4
The call
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.4 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 120th on our board to 203rd.
9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (125th to 127th).
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cedric Coward produces more: 36.2 fantasy points to 34.6, on 26.3 minutes a night against 21.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward.
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 | Cedric Coward | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.4 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 26.3 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 7.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.2 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 75.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 62 | 69 |
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 | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.2 | 34.6 |
| Points | 18.2 | 12.3 |
| Rebounds | 8.5 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 3.7 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.6 |
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 | Cedric Coward | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +1.2 |
| Total | -1.9 | -1.9 |
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, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ryan Kalkbrenner.
| Punt | Cedric Coward | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#131) | -0.3 (#73) |
| REB | -2.2 (#148) | -2.0 (#138) |
| AST | -1.4 (#121) | -0.5 (#74) |
| STL | -0.9 (#91) | -0.3 (#68) |
| BLK | -1.6 (#117) | -4.0 (#220) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#131) | -0.1 (#64) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#116) | -4.1 (#217) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#151) | -1.5 (#118) |
| TO | -2.3 (#115) | -3.2 (#151) |
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)
- Cedric Coward: 3 games (Mon @UTA, Thu @POR, Sat SAC), 1 back-to-back.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Cedric Coward: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 26.4 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 20.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cedric Coward playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cedric Coward, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cedric Coward or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Cedric Coward. 26.4 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 120th on our board to 203rd. 9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (125th to 127th).
Who wins more categories, Cedric Coward or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Cedric Coward or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number