Darius Acuff Jr. vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 3
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 55.9 for Ryan Kalkbrenner. Over the season, Darius Acuff Jr. leads in both formats: 38.8 fantasy points a game to 18.6, and 173rd against 175th 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 Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #32
- 38.8 FP/G, slot 3.08, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #173
- -2.9 z, slot 15.05
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #244
- 18.6 FP/G, slot 21.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #175
- -3.0 z, slot 15.07
The call
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 18.6, 32nd on our board to 244th.
9-cat leagues: Darius Acuff Jr. again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (173rd to 175th).
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Darius Acuff Jr. produces more: 38.2 fantasy points to 34.0, on 36.6 minutes a night against 19.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 55.9 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
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. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.8 | 18.6 |
| Minutes | 36.6 | 19.7 |
| PointsPTS | 26.1 | 6.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| AssistsAST | 6.3 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.6% | 75.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.8% | 73.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.6 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 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 | Darius Acuff Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.2 | 34.0 |
| Points | 25.7 | 11.8 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 9.3 |
| Assists | 6.2 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 2.5 |
| Threes | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 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 | Darius Acuff Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | +1.3 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -2.7 | +1.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.0 | +1.3 |
| Total | -2.9 | -3.0 |
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 Ryan Kalkbrenner.
| Punt | Darius Acuff Jr. | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -4.7 (#334) | -1.1 (#116) |
| REB | -2.0 (#136) | -2.9 (#187) |
| AST | -4.4 (#277) | -1.5 (#125) |
| STL | -1.7 (#131) | -1.3 (#110) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#128) | -4.7 (#258) |
| 3PM | -4.5 (#265) | -1.1 (#97) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#61) | -4.9 (#249) |
| FT% | -3.9 (#218) | -2.5 (#172) |
| TO | -0.8 (#81) | -4.5 (#190) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 4 games (Mon @DAL, Wed LAL, Fri SAS, Sun MIA).
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Mon DET, Wed @BKN, Fri BOS).
Recent games
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 38.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 38.8 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 15.8 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 18.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Darius Acuff Jr. playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Darius Acuff Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 18.6, 32nd on our board to 244th. 9-cat leagues: Darius Acuff Jr. again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (173rd to 175th).
Who wins more categories, Darius Acuff Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Darius Acuff Jr. or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 55.9 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number