Kel'el Ware vs Moussa Diabaté: who to start in Week 1
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Moussa Diabaté 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 78.6 projected fantasy points to 78.3 for Kel'el Ware. Over the season, Moussa Diabaté leads in points leagues (26.2 fantasy points a game to 26.1) and Kel'el Ware in 9-cat leagues (78th against 79th). 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #126
- 26.1 FP/G, slot 11.06, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #78
- -0.8 z, slot 7.06, $11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #123
- 26.2 FP/G, slot 11.03, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #79
- -0.8 z, slot 7.07, $11
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Moussa Diabaté. 26.2 fantasy points per game against 26.1, 123rd on our board to 126th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (78th to 79th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Moussa Diabaté in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.3 fantasy points to 36.0, on 21.2 minutes a night against 26.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Moussa Diabaté 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 78.6 projected fantasy points to 78.3 for Kel'el Ware.
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 | Moussa Diabaté |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.1 | 26.2 |
| Minutes | 21.2 | 26.2 |
| PointsPTS | 10.8 | 8.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.4 | 8.6 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.8% | 64.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 62.6% | 67.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 73 |
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 | Moussa Diabaté |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.3 | 36.0 |
| Points | 18.3 | 11.3 |
| Rebounds | 14.2 | 11.8 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.6 |
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 | Kel'el Ware | Moussa Diabaté |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.2 | +1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | +1.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +0.8 |
| Total | -0.8 | -0.8 |
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 points, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Moussa Diabaté.
| Punt | Kel'el Ware | Moussa Diabaté |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#58) | +0.5 (#43) |
| REB | -2.2 (#142) | -2.4 (#158) |
| AST | +0.6 (#43) | -0.0 (#53) |
| STL | -0.1 (#61) | -0.9 (#91) |
| BLK | -1.7 (#114) | -1.7 (#118) |
| 3PM | -0.3 (#67) | +0.9 (#39) |
| FG% | -1.9 (#119) | -2.9 (#152) |
| FT% | -0.0 (#61) | +0.2 (#56) |
| TO | -2.1 (#115) | -1.9 (#107) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Moussa Diabaté: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kel'el Ware: 13.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 26.1 on the board.
- Moussa Diabaté: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 26.2 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 Moussa Diabaté playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kel'el Ware, Moussa Diabaté
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kel'el Ware or Moussa Diabaté?
Points leagues: Moussa Diabaté. 26.2 fantasy points per game against 26.1, 123rd on our board to 126th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.8 (78th to 79th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Moussa Diabaté?
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Moussa Diabaté in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kel'el Ware or Moussa Diabaté?
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Moussa Diabaté 3. For that week alone, start Moussa Diabaté: 78.6 projected fantasy points to 78.3 for Kel'el Ware.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number