Fred VanVleet vs Onyeka Okongwu: who to start in Week 3
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Onyeka Okongwu 4. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 126.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Fred VanVleet. Over the season, Fred VanVleet leads in both formats: 32.4 fantasy points a game to 31.7, and 32nd against 57th 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
- #78
- 31.7 FP/G, slot 7.06, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #57
- +0.1 z, slot 5.09, $16
The call
Points leagues: Fred VanVleet. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 74th on our board to 78th.
9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +1.3 in summed z-scores against +0.1 (32nd to 57th).
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Onyeka Okongwu in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Fred VanVleet produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 37.9, on 30.4 minutes a night against 30.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Onyeka Okongwu 4. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 126.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Fred VanVleet.
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.4 | 31.7 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 13.0 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.0 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 2.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 37.5% | 47.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.6% | 75.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 74 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 37.9 |
| Points | 15.4 | 16.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 8.9 |
| Assists | 7.6 | 3.5 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.2 | 1.8 |
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 | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +2.0 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | +0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +0.6 |
| Total | +1.3 | +0.1 |
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 Onyeka Okongwu.
| Punt | Fred VanVleet | Onyeka Okongwu |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#17) | +0.5 (#43) |
| REB | +2.1 (#23) | -0.7 (#90) |
| AST | -0.2 (#60) | +0.5 (#44) |
| STL | -0.7 (#80) | +0.4 (#50) |
| BLK | +2.3 (#22) | -0.6 (#84) |
| 3PM | +0.5 (#46) | +0.1 (#55) |
| FG% | +3.2 (#16) | +0.1 (#57) |
| FT% | +0.9 (#39) | +0.4 (#44) |
| TO | +0.1 (#62) | -0.6 (#74) |
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).
- Onyeka Okongwu: 4 games (Mon @IND, Wed @WAS, Fri WAS, Sat BKN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Fred VanVleet: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 32.4 on the board.
- Onyeka Okongwu: 27.4 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 Onyeka Okongwu playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Onyeka Okongwu
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Fred VanVleet or Onyeka Okongwu?
Points leagues: Fred VanVleet. 32.4 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 74th on our board to 78th. 9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet again, +1.3 in summed z-scores against +0.1 (32nd to 57th).
Who wins more categories, Fred VanVleet or Onyeka Okongwu?
Category by category, Fred VanVleet is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Onyeka Okongwu in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Fred VanVleet or Onyeka Okongwu?
Fred VanVleet plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Onyeka Okongwu 4. For that week alone, start Onyeka Okongwu: 126.7 projected fantasy points to 97.2 for Fred VanVleet.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number