Kevin Durant vs Michael Porter Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Kevin Durant plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 119.0 for Michael Porter Jr.. Over the season, Kevin Durant leads in both formats: 40.8 fantasy points a game to 39.7, and 15th against 16th 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 25, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #23
- 40.8 FP/G, slot 2.11, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.4 z, slot 2.03, $35
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #29
- 39.7 FP/G, slot 3.05, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #16
- +3.2 z, slot 2.04, $34
The call
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 40.8 fantasy points per game against 39.7, 23rd on our board to 29th.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.4 in summed z-scores against +3.2 (15th to 16th).
Category by category, Kevin Durant is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Michael Porter Jr. in 4 (REB, STL, 3PM and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Michael Porter Jr. produces more: 43.8 fantasy points to 40.2, on 32.6 minutes a night against 36.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kevin Durant plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 119.0 for Michael Porter Jr..
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Kevin Durant | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 40.8 | 39.7 |
| Minutes | 36.5 | 32.6 |
| PointsPTS | 25.6 | 24.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 4.6 | 2.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.6% | 47.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.2% | 85.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 78 | 52 |
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 | Kevin Durant | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.2 | 43.8 |
| Points | 25.3 | 27.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.4 | 7.9 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 3.1 | 2.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Kevin Durant | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.6 | +1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.7 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +0.8 | +1.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.2 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.5 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.6 | -0.6 |
| Total | +3.4 | +3.2 |
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, assists, blocks, field goal percentage and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Michael Porter Jr..
| Punt | Kevin Durant | Michael Porter Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.7 (#24) | +1.7 (#23) |
| REB | +3.6 (#12) | +2.7 (#20) |
| AST | +2.8 (#16) | +3.5 (#10) |
| STL | +4.2 (#7) | +2.3 (#21) |
| BLK | +3.1 (#17) | +4.3 (#8) |
| 3PM | +2.4 (#21) | +1.1 (#37) |
| FG% | +2.5 (#25) | +4.1 (#12) |
| FT% | +1.8 (#29) | +2.3 (#23) |
| TO | +5.0 (#12) | +3.9 (#17) |
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)
- Kevin Durant: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 3 games (Wed CHA, Sat @CLE, Sun IND), 1 back-to-back.
Kevin Durant or Michael Porter Jr.: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Kevin Durant: 36.3 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.8 on the board.
- Michael Porter Jr.: 46.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.7 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? · Is Michael Porter Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kevin Durant
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kevin Durant or Michael Porter Jr.?
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 40.8 fantasy points per game against 39.7, 23rd on our board to 29th. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.4 in summed z-scores against +3.2 (15th to 16th).
Who wins more categories, Kevin Durant or Michael Porter Jr.?
Category by category, Kevin Durant is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Michael Porter Jr. in 4 (REB, STL, 3PM and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kevin Durant or Michael Porter Jr.?
Kevin Durant plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Michael Porter Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 122.3 projected fantasy points to 119.0 for Michael Porter Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number