Karl-Anthony Towns vs Scottie Barnes: who to start in Week 2
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 123.8 projected fantasy points to 122.7 for Karl-Anthony Towns. Over the season, Scottie Barnes leads in both formats: 41.3 fantasy points a game to 40.9, and 18th 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, 2:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #22
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.10, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #21
- +2.7 z, slot 2.09, $31
- Points leagues
- #19
- 41.3 FP/G, slot 2.07, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #18
- +3.1 z, slot 2.06, $33
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Scottie Barnes. 41.3 fantasy points per game against 40.9, 19th on our board to 22nd.
9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes again, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +2.7 (18th to 21st).
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and Scottie Barnes in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns produces more: 47.3 fantasy points to 45.0, on 31.1 minutes a night against 33.0. 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), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 123.8 projected fantasy points to 122.7 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 | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.9 | 41.3 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 20.6 | 17.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 12.3 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.0 | 5.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.3% | 47.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.6% | 84.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 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 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 47.3 | 45.0 |
| Points | 23.8 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 14.2 | 8.2 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 6.2 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.4 | 3.1 |
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 | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +3.0 | +0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.3 | +1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | +1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | +1.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.9 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.4 | -1.2 |
| Total | +2.7 | +3.1 |
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 assists, steals and blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Karl-Anthony Towns.
| Punt | Karl-Anthony Towns | Scottie Barnes |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.9 (#20) | +2.7 (#9) |
| REB | -0.3 (#72) | +2.2 (#22) |
| AST | +3.0 (#14) | +1.9 (#25) |
| STL | +3.3 (#14) | +1.7 (#27) |
| BLK | +2.7 (#20) | +1.6 (#29) |
| 3PM | +2.7 (#19) | +3.8 (#11) |
| FG% | +1.6 (#32) | +3.3 (#18) |
| FT% | +1.9 (#25) | +2.5 (#21) |
| TO | +4.0 (#18) | +4.2 (#16) |
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.
- Scottie Barnes: 3 games (Wed ORL, Fri ORL, Sun @LAL).
Karl-Anthony Towns or Scottie Barnes: 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 40.9 on the board.
- Scottie Barnes: 37.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 41.3 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 Scottie Barnes playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Karl-Anthony Towns, Scottie Barnes
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Karl-Anthony Towns or Scottie Barnes?
Points leagues: Scottie Barnes. 41.3 fantasy points per game against 40.9, 19th on our board to 22nd. 9-cat leagues: Scottie Barnes again, +3.1 in summed z-scores against +2.7 (18th to 21st).
Who wins more categories, Karl-Anthony Towns or Scottie Barnes?
Category by category, Karl-Anthony Towns is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and Scottie Barnes in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Karl-Anthony Towns or Scottie Barnes?
Karl-Anthony Towns plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Scottie Barnes 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 123.8 projected fantasy points to 122.7 for Karl-Anthony Towns.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 2:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number