Kel'el Ware vs Mikal Bridges: who to start in Week 2
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Mikal Bridges. Over the season, Kel'el Ware leads in both formats: 27.0 fantasy points a game to 26.9, and 66th against 71st 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 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #112
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.04, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #66
- -0.3 z, slot 6.06, $14
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #113
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.05, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.5 z, slot 6.11, $13
The call
Points leagues: Kel'el Ware. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 112th on our board to 113th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (66th to 71st).
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Mikal Bridges in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.9 fantasy points to 29.9, on 21.7 minutes a night against 32.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Mikal Bridges.
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 | Kel'el Ware | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.0 | 26.9 |
| Minutes | 21.7 | 32.4 |
| PointsPTS | 11.3 | 12.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.6 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 3.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.9% | 45.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.1% | 82.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 82 |
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 | Kel'el Ware | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.9 | 29.9 |
| Points | 18.7 | 14.0 |
| Rebounds | 14.3 | 4.1 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 3.8 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.0 |
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 | Kel'el Ware | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.9 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.3 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.7 | +0.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +1.2 |
| Total | -0.3 | -0.5 |
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 Mikal Bridges.
| Punt | Kel'el Ware | Mikal Bridges |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#43) | +0.1 (#58) |
| REB | -1.8 (#126) | +0.4 (#46) |
| AST | +1.2 (#34) | -0.5 (#75) |
| STL | +0.4 (#45) | -0.9 (#93) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#99) | -0.7 (#81) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#50) | -0.6 (#80) |
| FG% | -1.3 (#97) | -0.0 (#62) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#54) | -0.7 (#80) |
| TO | -1.4 (#93) | -1.8 (#102) |
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)
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Mon IND, Wed HOU, Sat CLE).
- Mikal Bridges: 3 games (Tue DET, Wed @CHI, Fri @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kel'el Ware: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 27.0 on the board.
- Mikal Bridges: 12.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kel'el Ware playing tonight? · Is Mikal Bridges playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kel'el Ware or Mikal Bridges?
Points leagues: Kel'el Ware. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 112th on our board to 113th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (66th to 71st).
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Mikal Bridges?
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Mikal Bridges in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kel'el Ware or Mikal Bridges?
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Mikal Bridges 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 80.6 for Mikal Bridges.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number