Deni Avdija vs Kel'el Ware: who to start in Week 3
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kel'el Ware 4. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 169.8 projected fantasy points to 109.9 for Kel'el Ware. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in both formats: 42.4 fantasy points a game to 27.5, and 82nd against 83rd 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 2, 10:35 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #20
- 42.4 FP/G, slot 2.08, $30
- 9-cat leagues
- #82
- -0.8 z, slot 7.10, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #118
- 27.5 FP/G, slot 10.10, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #83
- -0.8 z, slot 7.11, $11
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.4 fantasy points per game against 27.5, 20th on our board to 118th.
9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (82nd to 83rd).
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Kel'el Ware in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.5 fantasy points to 46.1, on 32.8 minutes a night against 21.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kel'el Ware 4. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 169.8 projected fantasy points to 109.9 for Kel'el Ware.
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 | Deni Avdija | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.4 | 27.5 |
| Minutes | 32.8 | 21.4 |
| PointsPTS | 23.9 | 11.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 8.9 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 0.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.0% | 51.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 73.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 66 | 77 |
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 | Deni Avdija | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.5 | 46.1 |
| Points | 26.2 | 19.5 |
| Rebounds | 7.6 | 15.0 |
| Assists | 7.0 | 1.3 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.8 | 1.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Deni Avdija | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | -0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | +1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | -1.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.8 | +1.1 |
| Total | -0.8 | -0.8 |
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 and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Kel'el Ware.
| Punt | Deni Avdija | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.1 (#177) | +0.1 (#61) |
| REB | -1.5 (#112) | -2.3 (#156) |
| AST | -2.3 (#160) | +0.6 (#39) |
| STL | -0.2 (#66) | -0.1 (#59) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#83) | -1.7 (#123) |
| 3PM | -1.0 (#90) | -0.2 (#65) |
| FG% | -1.1 (#95) | -1.5 (#110) |
| FT% | +0.1 (#54) | -0.4 (#71) |
| TO | +1.1 (#45) | -2.1 (#115) |
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)
- Deni Avdija: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @PHX, Fri @LAL, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Kel'el Ware: 4 games (Mon @MIN, Wed @BOS, Fri TOR, Sun BOS).
Recent games
- Deni Avdija: 36.0 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 42.4 on the board.
- Kel'el Ware: 25.5 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 27.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deni Avdija playing tonight? · Is Kel'el Ware playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Deni Avdija, Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deni Avdija or Kel'el Ware?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.4 fantasy points per game against 27.5, 20th on our board to 118th. 9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (82nd to 83rd).
Who wins more categories, Deni Avdija or Kel'el Ware?
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM) and Kel'el Ware in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Deni Avdija or Kel'el Ware?
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kel'el Ware 4. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 169.8 projected fantasy points to 109.9 for Kel'el Ware.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 2, 2026 at 10:35 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number