Jakob Poeltl vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 3
Jakob Poeltl plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 56.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jakob Poeltl. Over the season, Jakob Poeltl leads in points leagues (23.1 fantasy points a game to 18.8) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 9-cat leagues (169th against 176th). 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
- #167
- 23.1 FP/G, slot 14.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #176
- -3.0 z, slot 15.08
Out (Shoulder)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #238
- 18.8 FP/G, slot 20.10
- 9-cat leagues
- #169
- -2.8 z, slot 15.01
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jakob Poeltl. 23.1 fantasy points per game against 18.8, 167th on our board to 238th.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (169th to 176th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jakob Poeltl is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (BLK, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jakob Poeltl produces more: 34.9 fantasy points to 34.0, on 23.8 minutes a night against 19.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jakob Poeltl plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 56.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jakob Poeltl.
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 | Jakob Poeltl | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 23.1 | 18.8 |
| Minutes | 23.8 | 19.9 |
| PointsPTS | 9.2 | 6.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 5.0 |
| AssistsAST | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.5% | 76.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 59.2% | 72.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 46 | 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 | Jakob Poeltl | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.9 | 34.0 |
| Points | 13.9 | 11.9 |
| Rebounds | 10.2 | 9.1 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 2.5 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jakob Poeltl | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | +1.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | +1.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.4 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +1.3 |
| Total | -3.0 | -2.8 |
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 blocks, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jakob Poeltl.
| Punt | Jakob Poeltl | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#155) | -1.0 (#112) |
| REB | -3.7 (#229) | -2.8 (#184) |
| AST | -2.1 (#154) | -1.5 (#128) |
| STL | -2.5 (#168) | -1.4 (#113) |
| BLK | -3.2 (#181) | -4.6 (#254) |
| 3PM | -1.2 (#104) | -1.0 (#97) |
| FG% | -5.5 (#273) | -5.0 (#248) |
| FT% | -1.6 (#121) | -2.4 (#162) |
| TO | -4.3 (#184) | -4.5 (#196) |
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)
- Jakob Poeltl: 3 games (Mon @LAC, Wed @DEN, Fri @MIL), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Mon DET, Wed @BKN, Fri BOS).
Recent games
- Jakob Poeltl: 15.5 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 23.1 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 15.8 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 18.8 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jakob Poeltl playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jakob Poeltl or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Jakob Poeltl. 23.1 fantasy points per game against 18.8, 167th on our board to 238th. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -2.8 in summed z-scores against -3.0 (169th to 176th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jakob Poeltl or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Jakob Poeltl is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and FG%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 3 (BLK, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jakob Poeltl or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Jakob Poeltl plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 56.4 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jakob Poeltl.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number