Karl-Anthony Towns vs Michael Porter Jr.: who to start in Week 2
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 121.5 projected fantasy points to 114.9 for Michael Porter Jr.. Over the season, Karl-Anthony Towns leads in both formats: 40.5 fantasy points a game to 38.3, and 21st against 23rd 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
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #33
- 38.3 FP/G, slot 3.09, $24
- 9-cat leagues
- #23
- +2.6 z, slot 2.11, $30
The call
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.5 fantasy points per game against 38.3, 24th on our board to 33rd.
9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns again, +2.8 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (21st to 23rd).
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Michael Porter Jr. in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns produces more: 47.0 fantasy points to 43.1, on 31.0 minutes a night against 32.0. 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), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 121.5 projected fantasy points to 114.9 for Michael Porter Jr..
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 | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.5 | 38.3 |
| Minutes | 31.0 | 32.0 |
| PointsPTS | 20.2 | 23.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 3.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.2% | 84.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 52 |
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 | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 47.0 | 43.1 |
| Points | 23.5 | 26.7 |
| Rebounds | 13.8 | 7.6 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 3.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 3.7 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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 | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.9 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.5 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +1.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.1 | -0.5 |
| Total | +2.8 | +2.6 |
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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Michael Porter Jr..
| Punt | Karl-Anthony Towns | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.0 (#20) | +1.1 (#30) |
| REB | -0.1 (#59) | +2.2 (#21) |
| AST | +3.1 (#13) | +2.8 (#17) |
| STL | +3.3 (#14) | +1.5 (#29) |
| BLK | +2.7 (#19) | +3.5 (#14) |
| 3PM | +2.8 (#19) | +0.5 (#45) |
| FG% | +1.8 (#29) | +3.5 (#17) |
| FT% | +2.0 (#22) | +1.6 (#31) |
| TO | +3.8 (#20) | +3.1 (#22) |
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.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 3 games (Tue @BOS, Fri DET, Sun @IND).
Karl-Anthony Towns or Michael Porter Jr.: 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.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 38.6 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 38.3 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 Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Karl-Anthony Towns
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Karl-Anthony Towns or Michael Porter Jr.?
Points leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns. 40.5 fantasy points per game against 38.3, 24th on our board to 33rd. 9-cat leagues: Karl-Anthony Towns again, +2.8 in summed z-scores against +2.6 (21st to 23rd).
Who wins more categories, Karl-Anthony Towns or Michael Porter Jr.?
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Michael Porter Jr. in 5 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Karl-Anthony Towns or Michael Porter Jr.?
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Karl-Anthony Towns: 121.5 projected fantasy points to 114.9 for Michael Porter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number