Derrick Jones Jr. vs Keldon Johnson: who to start in Week 3
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Keldon Johnson 4. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 86.4 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr.. Over the season, Derrick Jones Jr. leads in both formats: 21.8 fantasy points a game to 21.6, and 128th against 204th 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
- #185
- 21.8 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #128
- -1.9 z, slot 11.08, $4
Day to day (Knee)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #187
- 21.6 FP/G, slot 16.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #204
- -3.9 z, slot 17.12
The call
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.8 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 185th on our board to 187th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.9 (128th to 204th).
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Keldon Johnson in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Keldon Johnson produces more: 33.5 fantasy points to 28.6, on 23.2 minutes a night against 27.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Keldon Johnson 4. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 86.4 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr..
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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.8 | 21.6 |
| Minutes | 27.5 | 23.2 |
| PointsPTS | 10.5 | 11.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.8% | 51.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.6% | 76.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 50 | 82 |
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 | Derrick Jones Jr. | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.6 | 33.5 |
| Points | 13.7 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 8.4 |
| Assists | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Derrick Jones Jr. | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | -1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | -0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.3 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.5 |
| Total | -1.9 | -3.9 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Derrick Jones Jr. stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Derrick Jones Jr. | Keldon Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#100) | -3.0 (#219) |
| REB | -1.2 (#109) | -3.9 (#240) |
| AST | -0.8 (#85) | -2.7 (#185) |
| STL | -1.8 (#134) | -2.7 (#174) |
| BLK | -2.5 (#152) | -3.0 (#169) |
| 3PM | -1.6 (#125) | -3.1 (#190) |
| FG% | -2.5 (#140) | -4.7 (#247) |
| FT% | -1.6 (#126) | -3.6 (#207) |
| TO | -3.4 (#154) | -5.6 (#234) |
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)
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 3 games (Mon TOR, Wed MIA, Sun NOP), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
- Keldon Johnson: 4 games (Mon UTA, Wed DAL, Fri @SAC, Sat @POR), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 23.4 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 21.8 on the board.
- Keldon Johnson: 18.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick Jones Jr. playing tonight? · Is Keldon Johnson playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick Jones Jr. or Keldon Johnson?
Points leagues: Derrick Jones Jr.. 21.8 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 185th on our board to 187th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick Jones Jr. again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.9 (128th to 204th).
Who wins more categories, Derrick Jones Jr. or Keldon Johnson?
Category by category, Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Keldon Johnson in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Derrick Jones Jr. or Keldon Johnson?
Derrick Jones Jr. plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Keldon Johnson 4. For that week alone, start Keldon Johnson: 86.4 projected fantasy points to 65.5 for Derrick Jones Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number