James Harden vs LeBron James: who to start in Week 2
James Harden plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James. Over the season, James Harden leads in both formats: 40.9 fantasy points a game to 40.9, and 28th against 47th 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 Oct 28, 12:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #22
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.10, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #28
- +1.9 z, slot 3.04, $26
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #23
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.11, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #47
- +0.4 z, slot 4.11, $17
The call
Points leagues: James Harden. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 40.9, 22nd on our board to 23rd.
9-cat leagues: James Harden again, +1.9 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (28th to 47th).
Category by category, James Harden is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and LeBron James in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, LeBron James produces more: 44.3 fantasy points to 42.1, on 33.2 minutes a night against 34.9. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
James Harden plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James.
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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | James Harden | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.9 | 40.9 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 22.3 | 20.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.9 | 6.2 |
| AssistsAST | 7.8 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.9 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.3% | 50.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.6% | 71.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.6 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 70 | 60 |
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 | James Harden | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.1 | 44.3 |
| Points | 23.0 | 21.9 |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 8.0 | 7.5 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 3.0 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 3.8 | 3.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | James Harden | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.0 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +2.1 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.2 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.4 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.6 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.9 | -1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.2 | -1.4 |
| Total | +1.9 | +0.4 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to LeBron James.
| Punt | James Harden | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.8 (#39) | -0.3 (#71) |
| REB | +2.4 (#19) | -0.1 (#63) |
| AST | -0.3 (#64) | -1.4 (#122) |
| STL | +1.6 (#27) | -0.5 (#76) |
| BLK | +2.4 (#21) | +0.4 (#48) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#49) | +0.8 (#39) |
| FG% | +3.8 (#12) | -0.7 (#78) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#58) | +1.7 (#29) |
| TO | +4.1 (#17) | +1.8 (#36) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- James Harden: 4 games (Mon MIN, Wed WAS, Thu @ATL, Sat @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
- LeBron James: 3 games (Wed @IND, Fri NYK, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- James Harden: 33.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.9 on the board.
- LeBron James: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is James Harden playing tonight? · Is LeBron James playing tonight?
Rookie cards: James Harden, LeBron James
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, James Harden or LeBron James?
Points leagues: James Harden. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 40.9, 22nd on our board to 23rd. 9-cat leagues: James Harden again, +1.9 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (28th to 47th).
Who wins more categories, James Harden or LeBron James?
Category by category, James Harden is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and LeBron James in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, James Harden or LeBron James?
James Harden plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start James Harden: 163.4 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number