Dean Wade vs Luke Kennard: who to start in Week 2
Dean Wade plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Dean Wade: 50.8 projected fantasy points to 32.8 for Luke Kennard. Over the season, Dean Wade leads in both formats: 16.9 fantasy points a game to 16.4, and 185th against 186th 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 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #251
- 16.9 FP/G, slot 21.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #185
- -3.3 z, slot 16.05
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #256
- 16.4 FP/G, slot 22.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #186
- -3.4 z, slot 16.06
The call
Points leagues: Dean Wade. 16.9 fantasy points per game against 16.4, 251st on our board to 256th.
9-cat leagues: Dean Wade again, -3.3 in summed z-scores against -3.4 (185th to 186th).
Category by category, Dean Wade is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Luke Kennard in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Luke Kennard produces more: 27.7 fantasy points to 25.9, on 21.3 minutes a night against 23.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Dean Wade plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Dean Wade: 50.8 projected fantasy points to 32.8 for Luke Kennard.
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 | Dean Wade | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 16.9 | 16.4 |
| Minutes | 23.5 | 21.3 |
| PointsPTS | 5.9 | 8.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 2.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.1% | 54.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 67.3% | 91.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 59 | 78 |
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 | Dean Wade | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 25.9 | 27.7 |
| Points | 9.1 | 14.4 |
| Rebounds | 6.3 | 4.1 |
| Assists | 2.1 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| Turnovers | 0.4 | 1.2 |
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 | Dean Wade | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.8 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +2.0 | +1.4 |
| Total | -3.3 | -3.4 |
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 rebounds, steals, blocks and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Luke Kennard.
| Punt | Dean Wade | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.5 (#142) | -2.1 (#171) |
| REB | -2.8 (#178) | -1.9 (#134) |
| AST | -2.2 (#168) | -2.7 (#186) |
| STL | -3.2 (#194) | -2.7 (#170) |
| BLK | -3.2 (#173) | -2.3 (#149) |
| 3PM | -2.9 (#180) | -3.4 (#205) |
| FG% | -3.3 (#175) | -4.0 (#209) |
| FT% | -3.0 (#177) | -3.7 (#206) |
| TO | -5.5 (#225) | -4.9 (#208) |
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)
- Dean Wade: 3 games (Wed @IND, Fri NYK, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- Luke Kennard: 2 games (Mon @OKC, Fri DEN).
Recent games
- Dean Wade: 22.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 16.9 on the board.
- Luke Kennard: 20.3 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 16.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Dean Wade playing tonight? · Is Luke Kennard playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Dean Wade or Luke Kennard?
Points leagues: Dean Wade. 16.9 fantasy points per game against 16.4, 251st on our board to 256th. 9-cat leagues: Dean Wade again, -3.3 in summed z-scores against -3.4 (185th to 186th).
Who wins more categories, Dean Wade or Luke Kennard?
Category by category, Dean Wade is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO) and Luke Kennard in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Dean Wade or Luke Kennard?
Dean Wade plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Dean Wade: 50.8 projected fantasy points to 32.8 for Luke Kennard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number