Jimmy Butler III vs Kevin Durant: who to start in Week 1
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kevin Durant 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Kevin Durant leads in both formats: 41.8 fantasy points a game to 37.4, and 15th against 18th 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 22, 4:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #40
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.04, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #18
- +3.1 z, slot 2.06, $32
Out (Knee)
- Points leagues
- #19
- 41.8 FP/G, slot 2.07, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.3 z, slot 2.03, $33
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.8 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 19th on our board to 40th.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.3 in summed z-scores against +3.1 (15th to 18th).
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Kevin Durant in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jimmy Butler III produces more: 43.2 fantasy points to 41.3, on 31.1 minutes a night against 36.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kevin Durant 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 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 | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 41.8 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 36.4 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 26.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 52.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 85.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 38 | 78 |
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 | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.2 | 41.3 |
| Points | 23.1 | 25.9 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 5.4 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 4.6 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 3.2 |
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 | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.2 | -0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.6 | +1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.5 | +1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Total | +3.1 | +3.3 |
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 points, blocks, threes and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Jimmy Butler III.
| Punt | Jimmy Butler III | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.4 (#11) | +1.5 (#24) |
| REB | +3.1 (#18) | +3.6 (#11) |
| AST | +2.4 (#18) | +2.6 (#17) |
| STL | +1.8 (#25) | +3.8 (#10) |
| BLK | +4.0 (#12) | +2.9 (#19) |
| 3PM | +3.7 (#11) | +2.3 (#20) |
| FG% | +2.3 (#26) | +2.3 (#27) |
| FT% | +1.5 (#32) | +1.9 (#27) |
| TO | +2.7 (#26) | +5.0 (#11) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Jimmy Butler III: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Kevin Durant: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jimmy Butler III: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 37.4 on the board.
- Kevin Durant: 43.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.8 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kevin Durant
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant?
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.8 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 19th on our board to 40th. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.3 in summed z-scores against +3.1 (15th to 18th).
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant?
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, FT% and TO) and Kevin Durant in 4 (PTS, BLK, 3PM and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jimmy Butler III or Kevin Durant?
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kevin Durant 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 4:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number