Isaiah Stewart vs Stephon Castle: who to start in Week 3
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.4 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Isaiah Stewart. Over the season, Stephon Castle leads in both formats: 33.8 fantasy points a game to 21.7, and 143rd against 144th 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
- #186
- 21.7 FP/G, slot 16.06
- 9-cat leagues
- #144
- -2.2 z, slot 12.12, $3
- Points leagues
- #61
- 33.8 FP/G, slot 6.01, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #143
- -2.2 z, slot 12.11, $3
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 33.8 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 61st on our board to 186th.
9-cat leagues: Stephon Castle again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (143rd to 144th).
Category by category, Isaiah Stewart is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Stephon Castle produces more: 41.1 fantasy points to 35.8, on 29.7 minutes a night against 21.8. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.4 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Isaiah Stewart.
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 | Isaiah Stewart | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.7 | 33.8 |
| Minutes | 21.8 | 29.7 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 16.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 6.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.2 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 58.2% | 44.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.6% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 2.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 58 | 68 |
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 | Isaiah Stewart | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.8 | 41.1 |
| Points | 17.8 | 19.5 |
| Rebounds | 7.7 | 6.6 |
| Assists | 1.7 | 8.0 |
| Steals | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 2.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 3.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Isaiah Stewart | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | +1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -2.2 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.4 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | -1.2 |
| Total | -2.2 | -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, rebounds, assists, steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Stewart.
| Punt | Isaiah Stewart | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#119) | -2.2 (#178) |
| REB | -1.9 (#131) | -2.2 (#145) |
| AST | -0.8 (#84) | -3.8 (#240) |
| STL | -0.2 (#61) | -2.5 (#167) |
| BLK | -3.9 (#214) | -1.5 (#114) |
| 3PM | -1.4 (#110) | -2.1 (#156) |
| FG% | -3.6 (#190) | -2.0 (#125) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#160) | -1.4 (#112) |
| TO | -3.5 (#157) | -1.0 (#86) |
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)
- Isaiah Stewart: 3 games (Mon NOP, Wed IND, Fri OKC).
- Stephon Castle: 4 games (Mon UTA, Wed DAL, Fri @SAC, Sat @POR), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Isaiah Stewart: 20.4 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 21.7 on the board.
- Stephon Castle: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 33.8 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Stewart playing tonight? · Is Stephon Castle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Stephon Castle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Stewart or Stephon Castle?
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 33.8 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 61st on our board to 186th. 9-cat leagues: Stephon Castle again, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (143rd to 144th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Stewart or Stephon Castle?
Category by category, Isaiah Stewart is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 3, Isaiah Stewart or Stephon Castle?
Isaiah Stewart plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.4 projected fantasy points to 65.1 for Isaiah Stewart.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number