Kevin Durant vs Paolo Banchero: who to start in Week 1
Kevin Durant plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 projected fantasy points to 125.0 for Paolo Banchero. Over the season, Kevin Durant leads in both formats: 41.8 fantasy points a game to 41.7, and 15th against 90th 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #19
- 41.8 FP/G, slot 2.07, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.3 z, slot 2.03, $33
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #20
- 41.7 FP/G, slot 2.08, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $10
The call
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.8 fantasy points per game against 41.7, 19th on our board to 20th.
9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.3 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (15th to 90th).
Category by category, Kevin Durant is ahead in 7 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 2 (REB and AST).
Per 36 minutes, Paolo Banchero produces more: 42.7 fantasy points to 41.3, on 35.1 minutes a night against 36.4. 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), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 projected fantasy points to 125.0 for Paolo Banchero.
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 | Kevin Durant | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 41.8 | 41.7 |
| Minutes | 36.4 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 26.2 | 23.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 8.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.7 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.6% | 47.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.8% | 77.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 78 | 72 |
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 | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 41.3 | 42.7 |
| Points | 25.9 | 23.6 |
| Rebounds | 5.4 | 8.5 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 5.6 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 3.2 | 3.3 |
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 | Kevin Durant | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.7 | +1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +1.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.1 | -0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.7 | -1.8 |
| Total | +3.3 | -1.1 |
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: Kevin Durant stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Kevin Durant | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.5 (#24) | -2.2 (#175) |
| REB | +3.6 (#11) | -2.6 (#173) |
| AST | +2.6 (#17) | -2.1 (#153) |
| STL | +3.8 (#10) | -0.3 (#70) |
| BLK | +2.9 (#19) | -1.0 (#87) |
| 3PM | +2.3 (#20) | -0.7 (#87) |
| FG% | +2.3 (#27) | -1.5 (#99) |
| FT% | +1.9 (#27) | -0.5 (#77) |
| TO | +5.0 (#11) | +0.7 (#51) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kevin Durant: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Paolo Banchero: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Kevin Durant: 43.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.8 on the board.
- Paolo Banchero: 55.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kevin Durant playing tonight? · Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kevin Durant, Paolo Banchero
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kevin Durant or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Kevin Durant. 41.8 fantasy points per game against 41.7, 19th on our board to 20th. 9-cat leagues: Kevin Durant again, +3.3 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (15th to 90th).
Who wins more categories, Kevin Durant or Paolo Banchero?
Category by category, Kevin Durant is ahead in 7 (PTS, STL, BLK, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 2 (REB and AST).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kevin Durant or Paolo Banchero?
Kevin Durant plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Kevin Durant: 125.3 projected fantasy points to 125.0 for Paolo Banchero.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number