Jimmy Butler III vs Scottie Barnes: who to start in Week 3
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 128.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III. Over the season, Scottie Barnes leads in points leagues (42.8 fantasy points a game to 37.4) and Jimmy Butler III in 9-cat leagues (15th against 16th). 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
- #42
- 37.4 FP/G, slot 4.06, $22
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.0 z, slot 2.03, $33
Out (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #17
- 42.8 FP/G, slot 2.05, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +2.9 z, slot 2.04, $32
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Scottie Barnes. 42.8 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 17th on our board to 42nd.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.0 in summed z-scores against +2.9 (15th to 16th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 4 (3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Scottie Barnes in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, Scottie Barnes produces more: 46.2 fantasy points to 43.2, on 33.3 minutes a night against 31.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 128.3 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Jimmy Butler III | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 42.8 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.3 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 1.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 49.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 80.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 38 | 80 |
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 | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 43.2 | 46.2 |
| Points | 23.1 | 21.6 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 7.8 |
| Assists | 5.6 | 6.0 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.4 |
| Threes | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 3.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jimmy Butler III | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | +1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | +1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.9 | -1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.5 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | -1.3 |
| Total | +3.0 | +2.9 |
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 threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Scottie Barnes.
| Punt | Jimmy Butler III | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.3 (#13) | +2.2 (#14) |
| REB | +2.9 (#14) | +2.2 (#22) |
| AST | +2.3 (#21) | +1.9 (#24) |
| STL | +1.8 (#25) | +1.3 (#33) |
| BLK | +3.8 (#11) | +1.7 (#27) |
| 3PM | +3.6 (#10) | +3.7 (#9) |
| FG% | +2.1 (#27) | +2.4 (#25) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#35) | +2.8 (#13) |
| TO | +2.4 (#27) | +4.2 (#13) |
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)
- Jimmy Butler III: 3 games (Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Scottie Barnes: 3 games (Mon @LAC, Wed @DEN, Fri @MIL), 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.
- Scottie Barnes: 44.8 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 42.8 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Scottie Barnes playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Scottie Barnes
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jimmy Butler III or Scottie Barnes?
Points leagues: Scottie Barnes. 42.8 fantasy points per game against 37.4, 17th on our board to 42nd. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, +3.0 in summed z-scores against +2.9 (15th to 16th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Scottie Barnes?
Category by category, Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 4 (3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Scottie Barnes in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jimmy Butler III or Scottie Barnes?
Jimmy Butler III plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 128.3 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jimmy Butler III.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number