Jamal Murray vs Kyrie Irving: who to start in Week 3
Jamal Murray plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Jamal Murray: 129.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving. Over the season, Jamal Murray leads in points leagues (43.2 fantasy points a game to 35.9) and Kyrie Irving in 9-cat leagues (8th against 9th). 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
- #15
- 43.2 FP/G, slot 2.03, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #9
- +4.1 z, slot 1.09, $39
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #49
- 35.9 FP/G, slot 5.01, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.5 z, slot 1.08, $41
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jamal Murray. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 15th on our board to 49th.
9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +4.1 (8th to 9th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jamal Murray is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM) and Kyrie Irving in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kyrie Irving produces more: 45.2 fantasy points to 43.1, on 28.6 minutes a night against 36.1. 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), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Jamal Murray: 129.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
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 | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.2 | 35.9 |
| Minutes | 36.1 | 28.6 |
| PointsPTS | 25.5 | 21.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.7 | 3.4 |
| AssistsAST | 6.8 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.6 | 3.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.2% | 52.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.7% | 100.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 0 |
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 | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.1 | 45.2 |
| Points | 25.5 | 26.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 6.7 | 6.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 3.6 | 4.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 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 | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.6 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +2.0 | +1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | +1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | +1.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | -0.3 |
| Total | +4.1 | +4.5 |
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 steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jamal Murray.
| Punt | Jamal Murray | Kyrie Irving |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#11) | +3.6 (#9) |
| REB | +4.6 (#9) | +5.6 (#8) |
| AST | +2.5 (#19) | +3.9 (#10) |
| STL | +4.3 (#8) | +4.0 (#10) |
| BLK | +4.6 (#9) | +4.8 (#7) |
| 3PM | +1.9 (#27) | +2.6 (#14) |
| FG% | +4.3 (#8) | +3.9 (#11) |
| FT% | +3.1 (#11) | +2.6 (#17) |
| TO | +4.8 (#11) | +4.7 (#12) |
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)
- Jamal Murray: 3 games (Mon POR, Wed TOR, Sat @IND).
- Kyrie Irving: 4 games (Mon SAC, Wed @SAS, Fri UTA, Sun BKN), listed Out.
Recent games
- Jamal Murray: 45.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 43.2 on the board.
- Kyrie Irving: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 35.9 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jamal Murray playing tonight? · Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jamal Murray
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jamal Murray or Kyrie Irving?
Points leagues: Jamal Murray. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 15th on our board to 49th. 9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +4.1 (8th to 9th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jamal Murray or Kyrie Irving?
Category by category, Jamal Murray is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM) and Kyrie Irving in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jamal Murray or Kyrie Irving?
Jamal Murray plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kyrie Irving 4. For that week alone, start Jamal Murray: 129.5 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number