Fred VanVleet vs Norman Powell: who to start in Week 3
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 94.0 projected fantasy points to 93.6 for Norman Powell. Over the season, Fred VanVleet leads in both formats: 31.3 fantasy points a game to 31.2, and 42nd against 79th 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, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #81
- 31.3 FP/G, slot 7.09, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #42
- +0.7 z, slot 4.06, $19
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #82
- 31.2 FP/G, slot 7.10, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #79
- -0.6 z, slot 7.07, $12
The call
Points leagues: Fred VanVleet. 31.3 fantasy points per game against 31.2, 81st on our board to 82nd.
9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.6 (42nd to 79th).
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Norman Powell in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Norman Powell produces more: 37.9 fantasy points to 37.8, on 29.6 minutes a night against 29.8. 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), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 94.0 projected fantasy points to 93.6 for Norman Powell.
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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 31.3 | 31.2 |
| Minutes | 29.8 | 29.6 |
| PointsPTS | 12.2 | 21.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 6.8 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 36.9% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 81.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 58 |
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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.8 | 37.9 |
| Points | 14.7 | 25.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| Assists | 8.2 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.2 | 2.2 |
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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | +1.6 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +0.1 |
| Total | +0.7 | -0.6 |
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 flips the 9-cat answer to Norman Powell.
| Punt | Fred VanVleet | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#26) | -1.6 (#141) |
| REB | +1.6 (#23) | +0.4 (#49) |
| AST | -1.0 (#99) | -0.1 (#61) |
| STL | -1.0 (#97) | -1.5 (#119) |
| BLK | +1.6 (#27) | +0.3 (#50) |
| 3PM | -0.1 (#58) | -1.7 (#128) |
| FG% | +2.6 (#20) | -0.2 (#64) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#48) | -1.0 (#97) |
| TO | -0.5 (#73) | -0.8 (#80) |
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)
- Fred VanVleet: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
- Norman Powell: 3 games (Mon @PHI, Wed @NYK, Sun PHI).
Recent games
- Fred VanVleet: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 31.3 on the board.
- Norman Powell: 30.0 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 31.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Fred VanVleet playing tonight? · Is Norman Powell playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Fred VanVleet or Norman Powell?
Points leagues: Fred VanVleet. 31.3 fantasy points per game against 31.2, 81st on our board to 82nd. 9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +0.7 in summed z-scores against -0.6 (42nd to 79th).
Who wins more categories, Fred VanVleet or Norman Powell?
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Norman Powell in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Fred VanVleet or Norman Powell?
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Fred VanVleet: 94.0 projected fantasy points to 93.6 for Norman Powell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number