Deandre Ayton vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 3
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 55.9 for Ryan Kalkbrenner. Over the season, Deandre Ayton leads in both formats: 22.4 fantasy points a game to 18.6, and 169th 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
- #173
- 22.4 FP/G, slot 15.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #169
- -2.9 z, slot 15.01
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: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 18.6, 173rd on our board to 244th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (169th to 175th).
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Deandre Ayton produces more: 34.2 fantasy points to 34.0, on 23.6 minutes a night against 19.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 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 | Deandre Ayton | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.4 | 18.6 |
| Minutes | 23.6 | 19.7 |
| PointsPTS | 10.2 | 6.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 5.1 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.0% | 75.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 62.8% | 73.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 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 | Deandre Ayton | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.2 | 34.0 |
| Points | 15.6 | 11.8 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 9.3 |
| Assists | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 2.5 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 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 | Deandre Ayton | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -1.7 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.1 | +1.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +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, rebounds and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ryan Kalkbrenner.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#156) | -1.1 (#116) |
| REB | -3.6 (#228) | -2.9 (#187) |
| AST | -1.4 (#117) | -1.5 (#125) |
| STL | -1.3 (#107) | -1.3 (#110) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#185) | -4.7 (#258) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#96) | -1.1 (#97) |
| FG% | -5.4 (#277) | -4.9 (#249) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#139) | -2.5 (#172) |
| TO | -4.4 (#187) | -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)
- Deandre Ayton: 4 games (Mon @ORL, Wed ATL, Fri @ATL, Sat @OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Mon DET, Wed @BKN, Fri BOS).
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 13.1 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 22.4 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 Deandre Ayton playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 18.6, 173rd on our board to 244th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (169th to 175th).
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (AST, BLK and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Deandre Ayton or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 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