Jusuf Nurkić vs Stephon Castle: who to start in Week 3
Jusuf Nurkić plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić. Over the season, Stephon Castle leads in points leagues (34.0 fantasy points a game to 33.5) and Jusuf Nurkić in 9-cat leagues (132nd against 145th). 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
- #62
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 6.02, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #132
- -2.0 z, slot 11.12, $4
Out (Foot)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #61
- 34.0 FP/G, slot 6.01, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #145
- -2.3 z, slot 13.01, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.0 fantasy points per game against 33.5, 61st on our board to 62nd.
9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (132nd to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jusuf Nurkić is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 41.0, on 26.4 minutes a night against 29.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jusuf Nurkić plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Jusuf Nurkić | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 33.5 | 34.0 |
| Minutes | 26.4 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 10.9 | 16.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.4 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 6.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.3% | 45.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 54.9% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.5 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 41 | 68 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.6 | 41.0 |
| Points | 14.9 | 19.4 |
| Rebounds | 14.1 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 6.5 | 8.1 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.4 | 3.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jusuf Nurkić | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.0 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.3 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -2.2 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | -1.3 |
| Total | -2.0 | -2.3 |
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 rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Stephon Castle.
| Punt | Jusuf Nurkić | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#108) | -2.2 (#187) |
| REB | -4.2 (#265) | -2.2 (#149) |
| AST | -2.6 (#182) | -3.9 (#242) |
| STL | -2.6 (#173) | -2.7 (#175) |
| BLK | -2.0 (#130) | -1.5 (#112) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#81) | -2.1 (#158) |
| FG% | -3.0 (#162) | -2.1 (#131) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#47) | -1.4 (#115) |
| TO | -1.4 (#98) | -0.9 (#84) |
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)
- Jusuf Nurkić: 4 games (Mon @SAS, Wed @NOP, Fri @DAL, Sun @MIN), listed Out.
- Stephon Castle: 4 games (Mon UTA, Wed DAL, Fri @SAC, Sat @POR), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 on the board.
- Stephon Castle: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 34.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jusuf Nurkić playing tonight? · Is Stephon Castle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jusuf Nurkić, Stephon Castle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jusuf Nurkić or Stephon Castle?
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.0 fantasy points per game against 33.5, 61st on our board to 62nd. 9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić instead, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (132nd to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jusuf Nurkić or Stephon Castle?
Category by category, Jusuf Nurkić is ahead in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jusuf Nurkić or Stephon Castle?
Jusuf Nurkić plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number