Kel'el Ware vs Norman Powell: who to start in Week 2
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.5 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Kel'el Ware. Over the season, Norman Powell leads in points leagues (31.5 fantasy points a game to 27.0) and Kel'el Ware in 9-cat leagues (66th against 68th). 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, 12:30 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 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #70
- 31.5 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #68
- -0.3 z, slot 6.08, $13
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Norman Powell. 31.5 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 70th on our board to 112th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (66th to 68th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Norman Powell in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.9 fantasy points to 38.4, on 21.7 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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.5 projected fantasy points to 81.0 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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.0 | 31.5 |
| Minutes | 21.7 | 29.5 |
| PointsPTS | 11.3 | 21.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.6 | 3.5 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 53.9% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.1% | 83.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 58 |
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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.9 | 38.4 |
| Points | 18.7 | 26.0 |
| Rebounds | 14.3 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 2.8 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 2.4 |
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 | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.9 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.3 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.7 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | -0.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | -0.1 |
| Total | -0.3 | -0.3 |
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, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Norman Powell.
| Punt | Kel'el Ware | Norman Powell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.6 (#43) | -1.3 (#125) |
| REB | -1.8 (#126) | +0.6 (#45) |
| AST | +1.2 (#34) | +0.1 (#52) |
| STL | +0.4 (#45) | -1.0 (#98) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#99) | +0.6 (#41) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#50) | -1.5 (#118) |
| FG% | -1.3 (#97) | +0.5 (#52) |
| FT% | +0.3 (#54) | -1.2 (#105) |
| TO | -1.4 (#93) | -0.3 (#68) |
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).
- Norman Powell: 3 games (Mon @BOS, Wed NYK, Fri @BOS).
Recent games
- Kel'el Ware: 23.3 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 27.0 on the board.
- Norman Powell: 30.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 31.5 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 Norman Powell playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kel'el Ware or Norman Powell?
Points leagues: Norman Powell. 31.5 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 70th on our board to 112th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware instead, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (66th to 68th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kel'el Ware or Norman Powell?
Category by category, Kel'el Ware is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Norman Powell in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kel'el Ware or Norman Powell?
Kel'el Ware plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Norman Powell 3. For that week alone, start Norman Powell: 94.5 projected fantasy points to 81.0 for Kel'el Ware.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 12:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number