Jimmy Butler III vs Josh Giddey: who to start in Week 2
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 113.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Josh Giddey leads in points leagues (37.9 fantasy points a game to 37.4) and Jimmy Butler III in 9-cat leagues (16th against 86th). 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 27, 2:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #38
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.02, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +3.3 z, slot 2.04, $34
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #36
- 37.9 FP/G, slot 3.12, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #86
- -1.0 z, slot 8.02, $10
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Josh Giddey. 37.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 36th on our board to 38th.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.3 in summed z-scores against -1.0 (16th to 86th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (PTS, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Josh Giddey in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Josh Giddey produces more: 44.5 fantasy points to 43.2, on 30.7 minutes a night against 31.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 113.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 37.9 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 30.7 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 14.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.6 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 8.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 43.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 75.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 38 | 54 |
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 | Jimmy Butler III | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.2 | 44.5 |
| Points | 23.1 | 17.5 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 8.9 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 10.3 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 3.9 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jimmy Butler III | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | +0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | +2.6 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Total | +3.3 | -1.0 |
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: Jimmy Butler III stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Jimmy Butler III | Josh Giddey |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#12) | -0.7 (#89) |
| REB | +3.3 (#13) | -2.0 (#139) |
| AST | +2.5 (#19) | -3.6 (#219) |
| STL | +2.0 (#22) | -0.7 (#81) |
| BLK | +4.2 (#9) | -0.6 (#80) |
| 3PM | +3.9 (#7) | -1.0 (#92) |
| FG% | +2.4 (#27) | -0.1 (#65) |
| FT% | +1.5 (#32) | -0.5 (#75) |
| TO | +2.8 (#24) | +0.8 (#47) |
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)
- Jimmy Butler III: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC), listed Out.
- Josh Giddey: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
- Josh Giddey: 24.1 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 37.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Josh Giddey playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Josh Giddey
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jimmy Butler III or Josh Giddey?
Points leagues: Josh Giddey. 37.9 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 36th on our board to 38th. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.3 in summed z-scores against -1.0 (16th to 86th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Josh Giddey?
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (PTS, STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Josh Giddey in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Jimmy Butler III or Josh Giddey?
Jimmy Butler III plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Josh Giddey 3. For that week alone, start Josh Giddey: 113.8 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 2:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number