Darius Acuff Jr. vs Kyrie Irving: who to start in Week 3
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving. Over the season, Darius Acuff Jr. leads in points leagues (38.9 fantasy points a game to 35.9) and Kyrie Irving in 9-cat leagues (8th against 170th). 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
- #33
- 38.9 FP/G, slot 3.09, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #170
- -2.9 z, slot 15.02
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #49
- 35.9 FP/G, slot 5.01, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.5 z, slot 1.08, $41
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 33rd on our board to 49th.
9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (8th to 170th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and AST) and Kyrie Irving in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kyrie Irving produces more: 45.2 fantasy points to 38.4, on 28.6 minutes a night against 36.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
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 | Darius Acuff Jr. | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.9 | 35.9 |
| Minutes | 36.5 | 28.6 |
| PointsPTS | 26.3 | 21.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 6.3 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 39.6% | 52.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.2% | 100.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 0 |
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 | Darius Acuff Jr. | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 45.2 |
| Points | 26.0 | 26.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.6 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 6.2 | 6.0 |
| Steals | 0.5 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 3.1 | 4.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 2.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Darius Acuff Jr. | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.5 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.5 | +1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -3.2 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.9 | +1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.7 | -0.3 |
| Total | -2.9 | +4.5 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Kyrie Irving stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Darius Acuff Jr. | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -4.6 (#325) | +3.6 (#9) |
| REB | -1.8 (#126) | +5.6 (#8) |
| AST | -4.2 (#266) | +3.9 (#10) |
| STL | -1.3 (#107) | +4.0 (#10) |
| BLK | -1.8 (#125) | +4.8 (#7) |
| 3PM | -4.6 (#275) | +2.6 (#14) |
| FG% | +0.5 (#50) | +3.9 (#11) |
| FT% | -4.0 (#223) | +2.6 (#17) |
| TO | -1.0 (#86) | +4.7 (#12) |
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)
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 4 games (Mon @DAL, Wed LAL, Fri SAS, Sun MIA).
- Kyrie Irving: 4 games (Mon SAC, Wed @SAS, Fri UTA, Sun BKN), listed Out.
Recent games
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 38.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 38.9 on the board.
- Kyrie Irving: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 35.9 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Darius Acuff Jr. playing tonight? · Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Darius Acuff Jr. or Kyrie Irving?
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.9 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 33rd on our board to 49th. 9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (8th to 170th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Darius Acuff Jr. or Kyrie Irving?
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and AST) and Kyrie Irving in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Darius Acuff Jr. or Kyrie Irving?
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number