Karl-Anthony Towns vs Kevin Durant: who to start in Week 2
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kevin Durant 4. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 164.6 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Karl-Anthony Towns. Over the season, Kevin Durant leads in both formats: 41.1 fantasy points a game to 40.5, and 11th against 21st 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 28, 12:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.5 FP/G, slot 2.12, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #21
- +2.8 z, slot 2.09, $31
- Points leagues
- #20
- 41.1 FP/G, slot 2.08, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.9 z, slot 1.11, $37
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.1 fantasy points per game against 40.5, 20th on our board to 24th.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.9 in summed z-scores against +2.8 (11th to 21st).
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and TO) and Kevin Durant in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns produces more: 47.0 fantasy points to 41.0, on 31.0 minutes a night against 36.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kevin Durant 4. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 164.6 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Karl-Anthony Towns.
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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.5 | 41.1 |
| Minutes | 31.0 | 36.2 |
| PointsPTS | 20.2 | 25.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.9 | 5.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 2.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 52.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.2% | 87.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 47.0 | 41.0 |
| Points | 23.5 | 25.3 |
| Rebounds | 13.8 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 4.5 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 3.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.9 | +0.0 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | +1.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +1.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.1 | -1.6 |
| Total | +2.8 | +3.9 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Karl-Anthony Towns.
| Punt | Karl-Anthony Towns | Kevin Durant |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.0 (#20) | +2.1 (#18) |
| REB | -0.1 (#59) | +4.0 (#12) |
| AST | +3.1 (#13) | +3.2 (#12) |
| STL | +3.3 (#14) | +4.5 (#7) |
| BLK | +2.7 (#19) | +3.1 (#16) |
| 3PM | +2.8 (#19) | +2.8 (#18) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#29) | +2.9 (#22) |
| FT% | +2.0 (#22) | +2.0 (#23) |
| TO | +3.8 (#20) | +5.4 (#12) |
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)
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 3 games (Tue DET, Wed @CHI, Fri @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Kevin Durant: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Karl-Anthony Towns or Kevin Durant: the Week 2 start/sit call
Recent games
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 42.4 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 40.5 on the board.
- Kevin Durant: 39.3 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 41.1 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Karl-Anthony Towns playing tonight? · Is Kevin Durant playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Durant
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Karl-Anthony Towns or Kevin Durant?
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.1 fantasy points per game against 40.5, 20th on our board to 24th. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.9 in summed z-scores against +2.8 (11th to 21st).
Who wins more categories, Karl-Anthony Towns or Kevin Durant?
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and TO) and Kevin Durant in 6 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Karl-Anthony Towns or Kevin Durant?
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Kevin Durant 4. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 164.6 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Karl-Anthony Towns.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number