Cooper Flagg vs Jimmy Butler III: who to start in Week 2
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jimmy Butler III 4. For that week alone, start Cooper Flagg: 126.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Cooper Flagg leads in both formats: 42.0 fantasy points a game to 37.4, and 15th against 16th 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #18
- 42.0 FP/G, slot 2.06, $30
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.6 z, slot 2.03, $35
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #38
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.02, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +3.3 z, slot 2.04, $34
Out (Knee)
The call
Points leagues: Cooper Flagg. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 18th on our board to 38th.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg again, +3.6 in summed z-scores against +3.3 (15th to 16th).
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Jimmy Butler III in 3 (FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cooper Flagg produces more: 46.0 fantasy points to 43.2, on 32.9 minutes a night against 31.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jimmy Butler III 4. For that week alone, start Cooper Flagg: 126.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
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 | Cooper Flagg | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.0 | 37.4 |
| Minutes | 32.9 | 31.1 |
| PointsPTS | 21.7 | 20.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.4 | 5.6 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.3% | 51.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 70 | 38 |
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 | Cooper Flagg | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.0 | 43.2 |
| Points | 23.7 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 5.6 |
| Steals | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 1.8 |
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 | Cooper Flagg | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | -0.0 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +1.5 | +1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | +0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | +1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.9 | +0.4 |
| Total | +3.6 | +3.3 |
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, steals, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Jimmy Butler III.
| Punt | Cooper Flagg | Jimmy Butler III |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#13) | +2.5 (#12) |
| REB | +3.2 (#16) | +3.3 (#13) |
| AST | +2.8 (#18) | +2.5 (#19) |
| STL | +1.9 (#25) | +2.0 (#22) |
| BLK | +2.8 (#18) | +4.2 (#9) |
| 3PM | +3.8 (#9) | +3.9 (#7) |
| FG% | +3.5 (#16) | +2.4 (#27) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#19) | +1.5 (#32) |
| TO | +4.4 (#15) | +2.8 (#24) |
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)
- Cooper Flagg: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
- Jimmy Butler III: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC), listed Out.
Recent games
- Cooper Flagg: 52.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 42.0 on the board.
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight? · Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cooper Flagg
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cooper Flagg or Jimmy Butler III?
Points leagues: Cooper Flagg. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 18th on our board to 38th. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg again, +3.6 in summed z-scores against +3.3 (15th to 16th).
Who wins more categories, Cooper Flagg or Jimmy Butler III?
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Jimmy Butler III in 3 (FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Cooper Flagg or Jimmy Butler III?
Cooper Flagg plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jimmy Butler III 4. For that week alone, start Cooper Flagg: 126.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number