Derrick White vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 3
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 130.5 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr.. Over the season, Derrick White leads in both formats: 32.6 fantasy points a game to 31.7, and 39th against 40th 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, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #69
- 32.6 FP/G, slot 6.09, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #39
- +0.9 z, slot 4.03, $20
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #77
- 31.7 FP/G, slot 7.05, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #40
- +0.7 z, slot 4.04, $20
The call
Points leagues: Derrick White. 32.6 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 69th on our board to 77th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White again, +0.9 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (39th to 40th).
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FT%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Derrick White produces more: 35.7 fantasy points to 32.7, on 32.9 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 130.5 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith 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 White | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.6 | 31.7 |
| Minutes | 32.9 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 15.1 | 16.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 5.3 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.1% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 91.7% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 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 | Derrick White | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.7 | 32.7 |
| Points | 16.5 | 17.4 |
| Rebounds | 4.5 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Derrick White | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | +0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.7 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.8 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +0.5 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.8 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.4 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.1 | +0.8 |
| Total | +0.9 | +0.7 |
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 assists, steals and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jabari Smith Jr..
| Punt | Derrick White | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.1 (#30) | +0.7 (#37) |
| REB | +1.6 (#25) | +0.4 (#51) |
| AST | +0.0 (#55) | +1.5 (#28) |
| STL | +0.4 (#48) | +1.3 (#34) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#49) | +0.1 (#56) |
| 3PM | +0.0 (#57) | -0.2 (#63) |
| FG% | +2.5 (#23) | +1.1 (#39) |
| FT% | -0.0 (#58) | +0.5 (#43) |
| TO | +0.9 (#47) | -0.2 (#67) |
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)
- Derrick White: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
Recent games
- Derrick White: 24.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 32.6 on the board.
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 33.5 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 31.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick White playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick White or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Derrick White. 32.6 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 69th on our board to 77th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White again, +0.9 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (39th to 40th).
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and FT%) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Derrick White or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 130.5 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number