Darius Acuff Jr. vs T.J. McConnell: who to start in Week 3
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell. Over the season, Darius Acuff Jr. leads in both formats: 38.8 fantasy points a game to 22.1, and 173rd against 174th 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
- #181
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 16.01
- 9-cat leagues
- #174
- -2.9 z, slot 15.06
Out (Hamstring)
The call
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 32nd on our board to 181st.
9-cat leagues: Darius Acuff Jr. again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (173rd to 174th).
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and T.J. McConnell in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, T.J. McConnell produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 38.2, on 17.2 minutes a night against 36.6. 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), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
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. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 38.8 | 22.1 |
| Minutes | 36.6 | 17.2 |
| PointsPTS | 26.1 | 9.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 2.2 |
| AssistsAST | 6.3 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 3.0 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.6% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.8% | 86.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.6 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 56 |
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. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.2 | 46.3 |
| Points | 25.7 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 4.6 |
| Assists | 6.2 | 10.7 |
| Steals | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 3.0 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 2.4 |
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. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | -1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | +0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.1 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +1.3 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -2.7 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.0 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.9 | -2.9 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to T.J. McConnell.
| Punt | Darius Acuff Jr. | T.J. McConnell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -4.7 (#334) | -1.6 (#149) |
| REB | -2.0 (#136) | -1.5 (#115) |
| AST | -4.4 (#277) | -3.7 (#234) |
| STL | -1.7 (#131) | -2.8 (#179) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#128) | -2.1 (#135) |
| 3PM | -4.5 (#265) | -1.6 (#120) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#61) | -3.9 (#201) |
| FT% | -3.9 (#218) | -3.0 (#185) |
| TO | -0.8 (#81) | -4.1 (#178) |
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).
- T.J. McConnell: 3 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MEM, Sat DEN), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Darius Acuff Jr.: 38.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 38.8 on the board.
- T.J. McConnell: 24.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.1 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Darius Acuff Jr. playing tonight? · Is T.J. McConnell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Darius Acuff Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Points leagues: Darius Acuff Jr.. 38.8 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 32nd on our board to 181st. 9-cat leagues: Darius Acuff Jr. again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (173rd to 174th).
Who wins more categories, Darius Acuff Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Category by category, Darius Acuff Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and T.J. McConnell in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Darius Acuff Jr. or T.J. McConnell?
Darius Acuff Jr. plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), T.J. McConnell 3. For that week alone, start Darius Acuff Jr.: 155.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for T.J. McConnell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number