Jayson Tatum vs Kawhi Leonard: who to start in Week 3
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kawhi Leonard. Over the season, Kawhi Leonard leads in both formats: 45.2 fantasy points a game to 45.1, and 4th against 24th 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #10
- 45.1 FP/G, slot 1.10, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #24
- +2.2 z, slot 2.12, $28
- Points leagues
- #9
- 45.2 FP/G, slot 1.09, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #4
- +7.0 z, slot 1.04, $56
Out (Knee)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kawhi Leonard. 45.2 fantasy points per game against 45.1, 9th on our board to 10th.
9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard again, +7.0 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (4th to 24th).
Category by category, Jayson Tatum is ahead in 2 (REB and AST) and Kawhi Leonard in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kawhi Leonard produces more: 51.8 fantasy points to 48.5, on 31.4 minutes a night against 33.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kawhi Leonard.
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 | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 45.1 | 45.2 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 31.4 |
| PointsPTS | 23.6 | 26.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.9 | 6.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.0 | 3.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 2.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 41.8% | 48.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.6% | 90.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 16 | 65 |
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 | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 48.5 | 51.8 |
| Points | 25.4 | 30.9 |
| Rebounds | 9.5 | 7.4 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 3.8 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 2.3 |
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 | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.3 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.1 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +2.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.9 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -0.1 |
| Total | +2.2 | +7.0 |
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: Kawhi Leonard stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Jayson Tatum | Kawhi Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.0 (#32) | +5.0 (#3) |
| REB | +0.9 (#33) | +6.8 (#5) |
| AST | +1.0 (#32) | +7.0 (#2) |
| STL | +2.0 (#23) | +4.3 (#7) |
| BLK | +3.0 (#14) | +7.6 (#3) |
| 3PM | +1.2 (#37) | +5.7 (#4) |
| FG% | +4.1 (#9) | +7.3 (#4) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#34) | +4.7 (#8) |
| TO | +3.0 (#22) | +7.1 (#6) |
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.
- Kawhi Leonard: 3 games (Mon @LAC, Wed @DEN, Fri @MIL), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Jayson Tatum: 46.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 45.1 on the board.
- Kawhi Leonard: 40.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 45.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight? · Is Kawhi Leonard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kawhi Leonard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jayson Tatum or Kawhi Leonard?
Points leagues: Kawhi Leonard. 45.2 fantasy points per game against 45.1, 9th on our board to 10th. 9-cat leagues: Kawhi Leonard again, +7.0 in summed z-scores against +2.2 (4th to 24th).
Who wins more categories, Jayson Tatum or Kawhi Leonard?
Category by category, Jayson Tatum is ahead in 2 (REB and AST) and Kawhi Leonard in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jayson Tatum or Kawhi Leonard?
Jayson Tatum plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Kawhi Leonard 3. For that week alone, start Jayson Tatum: 180.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kawhi Leonard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number