Damian Lillard vs Rudy Gobert: who to start in Week 3
Damian Lillard plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 123.5 projected fantasy points to 123.2 for Damian Lillard. Over the season, Rudy Gobert leads in points leagues (30.9 fantasy points a game to 30.8) and Damian Lillard in 9-cat leagues (171st against 183rd). 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
- #85
- 30.8 FP/G, slot 8.01, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #171
- -2.9 z, slot 15.03
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #84
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.12, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #183
- -3.2 z, slot 16.03
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Rudy Gobert. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 84th on our board to 85th.
9-cat leagues: Damian Lillard instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (171st to 183rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Damian Lillard is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Damian Lillard produces more: 38.2 fantasy points to 35.9, on 29.0 minutes a night against 30.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Damian Lillard plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 123.5 projected fantasy points to 123.2 for Damian Lillard.
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 | Damian Lillard | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.8 | 30.9 |
| Minutes | 29.0 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 19.2 | 9.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 11.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 38.9% | 61.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 51.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 76 |
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 | Damian Lillard | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.2 | 35.9 |
| Points | 23.8 | 11.4 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 13.6 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Damian Lillard | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +2.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +1.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.6 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -2.1 | +1.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | -3.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | +0.7 |
| Total | -2.9 | -3.2 |
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, assists, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Rudy Gobert.
| Punt | Damian Lillard | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#247) | -2.0 (#170) |
| REB | -2.2 (#146) | -6.3 (#377) |
| AST | -3.0 (#197) | -2.3 (#161) |
| STL | -2.8 (#179) | -2.4 (#163) |
| BLK | -2.1 (#134) | -5.0 (#282) |
| 3PM | -4.4 (#259) | -1.2 (#105) |
| FG% | -1.0 (#93) | -5.7 (#291) |
| FT% | -2.5 (#166) | +0.8 (#40) |
| TO | -2.6 (#128) | -4.1 (#173) |
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)
- Damian Lillard: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @PHX, Fri @LAL, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Rudy Gobert: 4 games (Mon MIL, Wed @HOU, Fri @NOP, Sun UTA).
Recent games
- Damian Lillard: 31.9 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 30.8 on the board.
- Rudy Gobert: 25.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 30.9 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Damian Lillard playing tonight? · Is Rudy Gobert playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Rudy Gobert
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Damian Lillard or Rudy Gobert?
Points leagues: Rudy Gobert. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 84th on our board to 85th. 9-cat leagues: Damian Lillard instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.2 (171st to 183rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Damian Lillard or Rudy Gobert?
Category by category, Damian Lillard is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Damian Lillard or Rudy Gobert?
Damian Lillard plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 123.5 projected fantasy points to 123.2 for Damian Lillard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number