Jalen Johnson vs Jayson Tatum: who to start in Week 3
Jalen Johnson plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Johnson. Over the season, Jalen Johnson leads in both formats: 46.4 fantasy points a game to 45.1, and 23rd against 24th 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
- #8
- 46.4 FP/G, slot 1.08, $36
- 9-cat leagues
- #23
- +2.3 z, slot 2.11, $28
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #10
- 45.1 FP/G, slot 1.10, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #24
- +2.2 z, slot 2.12, $28
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson. 46.4 fantasy points per game against 45.1, 8th on our board to 10th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (23rd to 24th).
Category by category, Jalen Johnson is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Jayson Tatum in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Johnson produces more: 48.6 fantasy points to 48.5, on 34.3 minutes a night against 33.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jalen Johnson plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Johnson.
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 | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 46.4 | 45.1 |
| Minutes | 34.3 | 33.5 |
| PointsPTS | 21.2 | 23.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.9 | 8.9 |
| AssistsAST | 7.9 | 6.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.9% | 41.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.2% | 83.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 16 |
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 | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 48.6 | 48.5 |
| Points | 22.2 | 25.4 |
| Rebounds | 10.3 | 9.5 |
| Assists | 8.2 | 6.4 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.6 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 3.5 | 2.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.8 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.7 | +1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +2.1 | +1.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | -1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.0 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| Total | +2.3 | +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 rebounds, assists, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jayson Tatum.
| Punt | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.4 (#24) | +1.0 (#32) |
| REB | +0.5 (#47) | +0.9 (#33) |
| AST | +0.1 (#51) | +1.0 (#32) |
| STL | +2.1 (#21) | +2.0 (#23) |
| BLK | +2.5 (#20) | +3.0 (#14) |
| 3PM | +2.3 (#20) | +1.2 (#37) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#24) | +4.1 (#9) |
| FT% | +2.1 (#23) | +1.4 (#34) |
| TO | +4.0 (#16) | +3.0 (#22) |
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)
- Jalen Johnson: 4 games (Mon @IND, Wed @WAS, Fri WAS, Sat BKN), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Jayson Tatum: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jalen Johnson: 42.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 46.4 on the board.
- Jayson Tatum: 46.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 45.1 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Johnson playing tonight? · Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Johnson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson. 46.4 fantasy points per game against 45.1, 8th on our board to 10th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (23rd to 24th).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum?
Category by category, Jalen Johnson is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Jayson Tatum in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum?
Jalen Johnson plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Johnson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number