Jalen Smith vs Pascal Siakam: who to start in Week 3
Jalen Smith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Pascal Siakam 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 116.0 projected fantasy points to 73.8 for Jalen Smith. Over the season, Pascal Siakam leads in both formats: 38.7 fantasy points a game to 24.6, and 139th against 142nd 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
- #151
- 24.6 FP/G, slot 13.07, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #142
- -2.2 z, slot 12.10, $3
- Points leagues
- #33
- 38.7 FP/G, slot 3.09, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #139
- -2.1 z, slot 12.07, $3
Day to day (Rest)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Pascal Siakam. 38.7 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 33rd on our board to 151st.
9-cat leagues: Pascal Siakam again, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (139th to 142nd).
Category by category, Jalen Smith is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FT% and TO) and Pascal Siakam in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Pascal Siakam produces more: 42.4 fantasy points to 40.4, on 32.8 minutes a night against 21.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jalen Smith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Pascal Siakam 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 116.0 projected fantasy points to 73.8 for Jalen Smith.
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 Smith | Pascal Siakam |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.6 | 38.7 |
| Minutes | 21.9 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 23.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 1.5 | 3.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.1% | 48.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.4% | 68.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 53 | 62 |
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 Smith | Pascal Siakam |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.4 | 42.4 |
| Points | 17.8 | 25.4 |
| Rebounds | 12.0 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 2.4 | 4.2 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 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 Smith | Pascal Siakam |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | +1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.6 | -0.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.3 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.0 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -2.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | -0.6 |
| Total | -2.2 | -2.1 |
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 points, assists, steals, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jalen Smith.
| Punt | Jalen Smith | Pascal Siakam |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#117) | -3.4 (#253) |
| REB | -3.0 (#192) | -2.8 (#184) |
| AST | -1.0 (#95) | -2.4 (#172) |
| STL | -0.6 (#81) | -2.2 (#156) |
| BLK | -2.7 (#158) | -1.5 (#113) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#141) | -2.0 (#149) |
| FG% | -2.4 (#138) | -3.1 (#169) |
| FT% | -1.8 (#131) | +0.1 (#53) |
| TO | -3.6 (#161) | -1.4 (#98) |
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)
- Jalen Smith: 3 games (Mon @PHI, Wed @NYK, Sun PHI).
- Pascal Siakam: 3 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MEM, Sat DEN), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
Recent games
- Jalen Smith: 28.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 24.6 on the board.
- Pascal Siakam: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 38.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Smith playing tonight? · Is Pascal Siakam playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Pascal Siakam
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Smith or Pascal Siakam?
Points leagues: Pascal Siakam. 38.7 fantasy points per game against 24.6, 33rd on our board to 151st. 9-cat leagues: Pascal Siakam again, -2.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (139th to 142nd).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Smith or Pascal Siakam?
Category by category, Jalen Smith is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FT% and TO) and Pascal Siakam in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jalen Smith or Pascal Siakam?
Jalen Smith plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Pascal Siakam 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 116.0 projected fantasy points to 73.8 for Jalen Smith.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number