Derrick White vs Jalen Williams: who to start in Week 3
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jalen Williams 4. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams. Over the season, Jalen Williams leads in points leagues (32.5 fantasy points a game to 31.8) and Derrick White in 9-cat leagues (50th against 80th). 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
- #77
- 31.8 FP/G, slot 7.05, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #50
- +0.3 z, slot 5.02, $17
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #70
- 32.5 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #80
- -0.8 z, slot 7.08, $11
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 70th on our board to 77th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (50th to 80th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Jalen Williams in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Williams produces more: 40.5 fantasy points to 34.9, on 28.9 minutes a night against 32.8. 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), Jalen Williams 4. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams.
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 | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.8 | 32.5 |
| Minutes | 32.8 | 28.9 |
| PointsPTS | 14.8 | 16.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 5.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 0.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.4% | 46.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 91.7% | 83.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 33 |
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 | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.9 | 40.5 |
| Points | 16.2 | 20.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 5.7 | 6.4 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 0.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.3 |
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 | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | -0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +0.7 | +0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | -1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.5 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.1 | +0.2 |
| Total | +0.3 | -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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Williams.
| Punt | Derrick White | Jalen Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#42) | -0.8 (#99) |
| REB | +1.1 (#30) | -0.4 (#76) |
| AST | -0.5 (#73) | -1.6 (#130) |
| STL | -0.2 (#63) | -1.3 (#106) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#67) | -0.3 (#71) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#76) | +0.0 (#55) |
| FG% | +2.1 (#29) | -0.7 (#84) |
| FT% | -0.5 (#75) | -1.2 (#103) |
| TO | +0.4 (#53) | -1.1 (#87) |
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 White: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
- Jalen Williams: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Derrick White: 24.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 31.8 on the board.
- Jalen Williams: 27.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick White playing tonight? · Is Jalen Williams playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Williams
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick White or Jalen Williams?
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 70th on our board to 77th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (50th to 80th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or Jalen Williams?
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Jalen Williams in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Derrick White or Jalen Williams?
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jalen Williams 4. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number