Fred VanVleet vs Jabari Smith Jr.: who to start in Week 3
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 97.2 projected fantasy points to 95.1 for Jabari Smith Jr.. Over the season, Fred VanVleet leads in both formats: 32.4 fantasy points a game to 31.7, and 32nd 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
- #74
- 32.4 FP/G, slot 7.02, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #32
- +1.3 z, slot 3.08, $23
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: Fred VanVleet. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 74th on our board to 77th.
9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +1.3 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (32nd to 40th).
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Fred VanVleet produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 32.7, on 30.4 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 97.2 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 | Fred VanVleet | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 31.7 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 34.9 |
| PointsPTS | 13.0 | 16.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 37.5% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 81.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 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 | Fred VanVleet | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 32.7 |
| Points | 15.4 | 17.4 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 7.6 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.2 | 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 | Fred VanVleet | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | +0.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +2.0 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | +1.3 | +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 and steals flips the 9-cat answer to Jabari Smith Jr..
| Punt | Fred VanVleet | Jabari Smith Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#17) | +0.7 (#37) |
| REB | +2.1 (#23) | +0.4 (#51) |
| AST | -0.2 (#60) | +1.5 (#28) |
| STL | -0.7 (#80) | +1.3 (#34) |
| BLK | +2.3 (#22) | +0.1 (#56) |
| 3PM | +0.5 (#46) | -0.2 (#63) |
| FG% | +3.2 (#16) | +1.1 (#39) |
| FT% | +0.9 (#39) | +0.5 (#43) |
| TO | +0.1 (#62) | -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)
- Fred VanVleet: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
- Jabari Smith Jr.: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
Recent games
- Fred VanVleet: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 32.4 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 Fred VanVleet playing tonight? · Is Jabari Smith Jr. playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Fred VanVleet or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Points leagues: Fred VanVleet. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 74th on our board to 77th. 9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +1.3 in summed z-scores against +0.7 (32nd to 40th).
Who wins more categories, Fred VanVleet or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Jabari Smith Jr. in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Fred VanVleet or Jabari Smith Jr.?
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jabari Smith Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 97.2 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