Desmond Bane vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 3
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Desmond Bane. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in points leagues (36.0 fantasy points a game to 32.4) and Desmond Bane in 9-cat leagues (45th against 54th). 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
- #73
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 7.01, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #45
- +0.5 z, slot 4.09, $18
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #48
- 36.0 FP/G, slot 4.12, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #54
- +0.2 z, slot 5.06, $17
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 48th on our board to 73rd.
9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (45th to 54th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 4 (PTS, REB, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 42.8 fantasy points to 34.5, on 30.3 minutes a night against 33.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Desmond Bane.
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 | Desmond Bane | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 36.0 |
| Minutes | 33.9 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 19.3 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 0.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.2% | 61.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.0% | 71.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 62 |
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 | Desmond Bane | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.5 | 42.8 |
| Points | 20.6 | 24.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.2 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Desmond Bane | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.5 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.1 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.8 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | +2.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | +0.5 | +0.2 |
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 and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Zion Williamson.
| Punt | Desmond Bane | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.0 (#63) | -0.7 (#90) |
| REB | +1.3 (#30) | +0.1 (#58) |
| AST | +0.5 (#41) | +0.3 (#48) |
| STL | +0.5 (#44) | -1.5 (#118) |
| BLK | +0.6 (#43) | +0.3 (#53) |
| 3PM | -0.4 (#71) | +1.7 (#30) |
| FG% | +1.3 (#38) | -3.3 (#177) |
| FT% | -0.8 (#87) | +1.9 (#27) |
| TO | +0.7 (#51) | +0.3 (#56) |
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)
- Desmond Bane: 3 games (Mon WAS, Thu @PHX, Sat @GSW), 1 back-to-back.
- Zion Williamson: 4 games (Mon @MEM, Wed UTA, Fri MIN, Sun @LAC).
Recent games
- Desmond Bane: 28.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 37.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 36.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Desmond Bane playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Desmond Bane, Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Desmond Bane or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 32.4, 48th on our board to 73rd. 9-cat leagues: Desmond Bane instead, +0.5 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (45th to 54th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Desmond Bane is ahead in 4 (AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 4 (PTS, REB, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Desmond Bane or Zion Williamson?
Desmond Bane plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Desmond Bane.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number