Jaylen Wells vs Kyle Kuzma: who to start in Week 1
Jaylen Wells plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 73.7 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jaylen Wells. Over the season, Kyle Kuzma leads in both formats: 24.6 fantasy points a game to 21.6, and 201st against 202nd 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 25, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #176
- 21.6 FP/G, slot 15.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #202
- -3.8 z, slot 17.10
- Points leagues
- #140
- 24.6 FP/G, slot 12.08, $3
- 9-cat leagues
- #201
- -3.8 z, slot 17.09
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.6 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 140th on our board to 176th.
9-cat leagues: Kyle Kuzma again, -3.8 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (201st to 202nd).
Category by category, Jaylen Wells is ahead in 3 (STL, 3PM and TO) and Kyle Kuzma in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Kyle Kuzma produces more: 32.9 fantasy points to 29.4, on 26.9 minutes a night against 26.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jaylen Wells plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 73.7 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jaylen Wells.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Jaylen Wells | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.6 | 24.6 |
| Minutes | 26.4 | 26.9 |
| PointsPTS | 12.8 | 12.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.3 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 1.6 | 2.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 44.2% | 48.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.3% | 72.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 69 |
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 | Jaylen Wells | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 29.4 | 32.9 |
| Points | 17.4 | 16.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 7.1 |
| Assists | 2.2 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.7 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.4 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jaylen Wells | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.0 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.7 | -0.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | -0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +0.1 |
| Total | -3.8 | -3.8 |
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 Jaylen Wells.
| Punt | Jaylen Wells | Kyle Kuzma |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.2 (#228) | -3.2 (#226) |
| REB | -2.9 (#185) | -3.8 (#237) |
| AST | -2.9 (#191) | -3.4 (#215) |
| STL | -3.9 (#229) | -3.0 (#183) |
| BLK | -2.9 (#162) | -3.3 (#186) |
| 3PM | -4.2 (#232) | -3.3 (#196) |
| FG% | -3.4 (#172) | -4.2 (#215) |
| FT% | -3.3 (#188) | -3.2 (#185) |
| TO | -4.9 (#205) | -4.0 (#178) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Jaylen Wells: 3 games (Wed UTA, Fri @GSW, Sun @SAC).
- Kyle Kuzma: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jaylen Wells: 27.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 21.6 on the board.
- Kyle Kuzma: 27.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 24.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jaylen Wells playing tonight? · Is Kyle Kuzma playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jaylen Wells or Kyle Kuzma?
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.6 fantasy points per game against 21.6, 140th on our board to 176th. 9-cat leagues: Kyle Kuzma again, -3.8 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (201st to 202nd).
Who wins more categories, Jaylen Wells or Kyle Kuzma?
Category by category, Jaylen Wells is ahead in 3 (STL, 3PM and TO) and Kyle Kuzma in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jaylen Wells or Kyle Kuzma?
Jaylen Wells plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kyle Kuzma 3. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 73.7 projected fantasy points to 64.7 for Jaylen Wells.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number