Jamal Murray vs Jayson Tatum: who to start in Week 3
Jamal Murray plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 179.0 projected fantasy points to 131.0 for Jamal Murray. Over the season, Jayson Tatum leads in points leagues (44.7 fantasy points a game to 43.7) and Jamal Murray in 9-cat leagues (8th against 26th). 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
- #13
- 43.7 FP/G, slot 2.01, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.7 z, slot 1.08, $42
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #12
- 44.7 FP/G, slot 1.12, $33
- 9-cat leagues
- #26
- +2.1 z, slot 3.02, $27
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jayson Tatum. 44.7 fantasy points per game against 43.7, 12th on our board to 13th.
9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray instead, +4.7 in summed z-scores against +2.1 (8th to 26th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jamal Murray is ahead in 7 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jayson Tatum in 2 (REB and STL).
Per 36 minutes, Jayson Tatum produces more: 48.2 fantasy points to 43.4, on 33.4 minutes a night against 36.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jamal Murray plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 179.0 projected fantasy points to 131.0 for Jamal Murray.
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 | Jamal Murray | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.7 | 44.7 |
| Minutes | 36.2 | 33.4 |
| PointsPTS | 26.0 | 23.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 8.7 |
| AssistsAST | 6.7 | 6.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.4% | 41.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.1% | 84.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Jamal Murray | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.4 | 48.2 |
| Points | 25.8 | 25.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 6.7 | 6.6 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 2.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jamal Murray | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | +1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | +1.2 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | +1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +2.0 | +0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.1 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| Total | +4.7 | +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
No punt changes the answer: Jamal Murray stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Jamal Murray | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.9 (#11) | +0.8 (#36) |
| REB | +5.2 (#9) | +0.8 (#34) |
| AST | +3.0 (#14) | +0.8 (#37) |
| STL | +4.8 (#6) | +1.8 (#27) |
| BLK | +5.0 (#7) | +2.8 (#17) |
| 3PM | +2.4 (#19) | +1.1 (#39) |
| FG% | +4.8 (#8) | +4.1 (#9) |
| FT% | +3.3 (#12) | +1.0 (#37) |
| TO | +5.3 (#9) | +3.0 (#21) |
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)
- Jamal Murray: 3 games (Mon POR, Wed TOR, Sat @IND).
- Jayson Tatum: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jamal Murray: 45.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 43.7 on the board.
- Jayson Tatum: 46.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 44.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jamal Murray playing tonight? · Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jamal Murray
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jamal Murray or Jayson Tatum?
Points leagues: Jayson Tatum. 44.7 fantasy points per game against 43.7, 12th on our board to 13th. 9-cat leagues: Jamal Murray instead, +4.7 in summed z-scores against +2.1 (8th to 26th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jamal Murray or Jayson Tatum?
Category by category, Jamal Murray is ahead in 7 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jayson Tatum in 2 (REB and STL).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jamal Murray or Jayson Tatum?
Jamal Murray plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jayson Tatum 4. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 179.0 projected fantasy points to 131.0 for Jamal Murray.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number