Jayson Tatum vs Karl-Anthony Towns: who to start in Week 3
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 122.9 for Karl-Anthony Towns. Over the season, Jayson Tatum leads in points leagues (45.1 fantasy points a game to 41.0) and Karl-Anthony Towns in 9-cat leagues (20th against 24th). 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.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #10
- 45.1 FP/G, slot 1.10, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #24
- +2.2 z, slot 2.12, $28
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #23
- 41.0 FP/G, slot 2.11, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #20
- +2.4 z, slot 2.08, $29
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jayson Tatum. 45.1 fantasy points per game against 41.0, 10th on our board to 23rd.
9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns instead, +2.4 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (20th to 24th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jayson Tatum is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and TO) and Karl-Anthony Towns in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jayson Tatum produces more: 48.5 fantasy points to 47.3, on 33.5 minutes a night against 31.2. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 122.9 for Karl-Anthony Towns.
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 | Jayson Tatum | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.1 | 41.0 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 31.2 |
| PointsPTS | 23.6 | 20.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.9 | 12.3 |
| AssistsAST | 6.0 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.8% | 52.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.6% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 16 | 75 |
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 | Jayson Tatum | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 48.5 | 47.3 |
| Points | 25.4 | 23.8 |
| Rebounds | 9.5 | 14.2 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 3.5 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 3.4 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jayson Tatum | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.3 | +2.8 |
| AssistsAST | +1.1 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | -0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | +0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -1.3 |
| Total | +2.2 | +2.4 |
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 rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jayson Tatum.
| Punt | Jayson Tatum | Karl-Anthony Towns |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.0 (#32) | +1.7 (#19) |
| REB | +0.9 (#33) | -0.4 (#79) |
| AST | +1.0 (#32) | +2.8 (#15) |
| STL | +2.0 (#23) | +3.2 (#12) |
| BLK | +3.0 (#14) | +2.4 (#21) |
| 3PM | +1.2 (#37) | +2.3 (#19) |
| FG% | +4.1 (#9) | +1.4 (#36) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#34) | +1.7 (#30) |
| TO | +3.0 (#22) | +3.6 (#18) |
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)
- Jayson Tatum: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 3 games (Mon BKN, Wed CHI, Sat @CLE).
Recent games
- Jayson Tatum: 46.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 45.1 on the board.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 40.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 41.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight? · Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Karl-Anthony Towns
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jayson Tatum or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Points leagues: Jayson Tatum. 45.1 fantasy points per game against 41.0, 10th on our board to 23rd. 9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns instead, +2.4 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (20th to 24th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jayson Tatum or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Category by category, Jayson Tatum is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and TO) and Karl-Anthony Towns in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jayson Tatum or Karl-Anthony Towns?
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Karl-Anthony Towns 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 122.9 for Karl-Anthony Towns.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number