Dylan Cardwell vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Dylan Cardwell in points leagues (22.3 fantasy points a game to 20.2) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 9-cat leagues (136th against 139th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #174
- 22.3 FP/G, slot 15.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #139
- -2.3 z, slot 12.07, $3
Out (Calf)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #205
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 18.01
- 9-cat leagues
- #136
- -2.2 z, slot 12.04, $3
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Dylan Cardwell. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 174th on our board to 205th.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (136th to 139th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Dylan Cardwell is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (PTS, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Dylan Cardwell produces more: 39.0 fantasy points to 33.9, on 20.6 minutes a night against 21.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Dylan Cardwell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Dylan Cardwell.
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 | Dylan Cardwell | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.3 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 20.6 | 21.4 |
| PointsPTS | 5.4 | 7.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 58.7% | 75.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 51.0% | 71.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 44 | 69 |
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 | Dylan Cardwell | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 39.0 | 33.9 |
| Points | 9.4 | 12.7 |
| Rebounds | 13.2 | 9.2 |
| Assists | 2.5 | 1.3 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 2.7 | 2.5 |
| Threes | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Dylan Cardwell | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -2.0 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.7 | +1.6 |
| Threes3PM | -1.6 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.3 | -2.2 |
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 points, field goal percentage and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Dylan Cardwell.
| Punt | Dylan Cardwell | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#77) | -0.6 (#87) |
| REB | -3.4 (#217) | -2.3 (#145) |
| AST | -1.1 (#96) | -0.7 (#84) |
| STL | -1.4 (#118) | -0.7 (#82) |
| BLK | -4.4 (#245) | -4.1 (#233) |
| 3PM | -0.6 (#82) | -0.5 (#78) |
| FG% | -3.6 (#184) | -4.6 (#230) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#101) | -1.7 (#122) |
| TO | -3.8 (#167) | -3.7 (#164) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Dylan Cardwell: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM), listed Out.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Dylan Cardwell: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 22.3 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 16.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 20.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Dylan Cardwell or Ryan Kalkbrenner in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Dylan Cardwell. 22.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 174th on our board to 205th. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (136th to 139th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Dylan Cardwell or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Dylan Cardwell is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (PTS, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Dylan Cardwell or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Dylan Cardwell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Dylan Cardwell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number