Derrick White vs RJ Barrett: who to start in Week 3
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 99.7 for RJ Barrett. Over the season, RJ Barrett leads in points leagues (33.2 fantasy points a game to 31.8) and Derrick White in 9-cat leagues (50th against 161st). 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
- #66
- 33.2 FP/G, slot 6.06, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #161
- -2.7 z, slot 14.05
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 33.2 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 66th on our board to 77th.
9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (50th to 161st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and RJ Barrett in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, RJ Barrett produces more: 38.6 fantasy points to 34.9, on 31.0 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), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 99.7 for RJ Barrett.
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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.8 | 33.2 |
| Minutes | 32.8 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.8 | 19.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 5.2 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.4% | 49.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 91.7% | 67.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 57 |
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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.9 | 38.6 |
| Points | 16.2 | 22.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 5.7 | 4.1 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.0 |
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 | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.7 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | -0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.5 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.1 | +0.3 |
| Total | +0.3 | -2.7 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Derrick White stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Derrick White | RJ Barrett |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#42) | -3.3 (#244) |
| REB | +1.1 (#30) | -2.8 (#185) |
| AST | -0.5 (#73) | -2.7 (#190) |
| STL | -0.2 (#63) | -1.9 (#141) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#67) | -2.3 (#146) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#76) | -2.7 (#176) |
| FG% | +2.1 (#29) | -3.6 (#191) |
| FT% | -0.5 (#75) | -0.8 (#87) |
| TO | +0.4 (#53) | -3.0 (#143) |
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.
- RJ Barrett: 3 games (Mon @LAC, Wed @DEN, Fri @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Derrick White: 24.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 31.8 on the board.
- RJ Barrett: 35.8 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 33.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Derrick White playing tonight? · Is RJ Barrett playing tonight?
Rookie cards: RJ Barrett
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Derrick White or RJ Barrett?
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 33.2 fantasy points per game against 31.8, 66th on our board to 77th. 9-cat leagues: Derrick White instead, +0.3 in summed z-scores against -2.7 (50th to 161st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Derrick White or RJ Barrett?
Category by category, Derrick White is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and RJ Barrett in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Derrick White or RJ Barrett?
Derrick White plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), RJ Barrett 3. For that week alone, start Derrick White: 127.1 projected fantasy points to 99.7 for RJ Barrett.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number