Kel'el Ware vs Naji Marshall: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Naji Marshall in points leagues (27.7 fantasy points a game to 27.7) and Kel'el Ware in 9-cat leagues (52nd against 152nd). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #112
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 10.04, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #52
- +0.4 z, slot 5.04, $17
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #111
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 10.03, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #152
- -2.5 z, slot 13.08, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Naji Marshall. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 111th on our board to 112th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (52nd to 152nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 6 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Naji Marshall in 3 (PTS, AST and STL).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 45.1 fantasy points to 33.8, on 22.1 minutes a night against 29.5. 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), Naji Marshall 3, an even 83.2 projected fantasy points each.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Kel'el Ware | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.7 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 22.1 | 29.5 |
| PointsPTS | 11.1 | 15.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.0 | 4.7 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 3.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.0% | 51.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.0% | 76.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 74 |
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 | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.1 | 33.8 |
| Points | 18.0 | 18.6 |
| Rebounds | 14.7 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 2.0 |
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 | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.4 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -0.2 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | -1.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.6 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +0.3 |
| Total | +0.4 | -2.5 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Kel'el Ware stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Kel'el Ware | Naji Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.3 (#30) | -2.4 (#183) |
| REB | -1.2 (#100) | -2.3 (#147) |
| AST | +1.9 (#25) | -2.4 (#172) |
| STL | +1.0 (#35) | -2.9 (#181) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#79) | -1.5 (#105) |
| 3PM | +0.8 (#42) | -1.8 (#125) |
| FG% | -0.4 (#71) | -3.6 (#181) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#46) | -2.1 (#141) |
| TO | -1.2 (#86) | -3.0 (#137) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Naji Marshall: 3 games (Wed @HOU, Fri @IND, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kel'el Ware: 26.5 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
- Naji Marshall: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Naji Marshall. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 27.7, 111th on our board to 112th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (52nd to 152nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall?
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 6 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Naji Marshall in 3 (PTS, AST and STL).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kel'el Ware or Naji Marshall?
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Naji Marshall 3, an even 83.2 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number