Kevin Huerter vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 2
Kevin Huerter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 60.6 for Kevin Huerter. Over the season, Kevin Huerter leads in points leagues (20.2 fantasy points a game to 20.2) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 9-cat leagues (127th against 197th). 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, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #202
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.10
- 9-cat leagues
- #197
- -3.7 z, slot 17.05
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #203
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -1.9 z, slot 11.07, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kevin Huerter. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 202nd on our board to 203rd.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (127th to 197th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kevin Huerter is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Kalkbrenner produces more: 34.6 fantasy points to 32.7, on 21.0 minutes a night against 22.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kevin Huerter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 60.6 for Kevin Huerter.
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 Huerter | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.2 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 22.3 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 9.3 | 7.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.5 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.8% | 75.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.5% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 69 |
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 Huerter | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 32.7 | 34.6 |
| Points | 15.1 | 12.3 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 4.0 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 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 | Kevin Huerter | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +1.2 |
| Total | -3.7 | -1.9 |
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 blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Kevin Huerter.
| Punt | Kevin Huerter | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.5 (#194) | -0.3 (#73) |
| REB | -2.9 (#180) | -2.0 (#138) |
| AST | -3.2 (#197) | -0.5 (#74) |
| STL | -3.4 (#200) | -0.3 (#68) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#191) | -4.0 (#220) |
| 3PM | -3.4 (#209) | -0.1 (#64) |
| FG% | -3.2 (#165) | -4.1 (#217) |
| FT% | -3.6 (#200) | -1.5 (#118) |
| TO | -4.8 (#202) | -3.2 (#151) |
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)
- Kevin Huerter: 3 games (Tue @NYK, Wed CHA, Fri @BKN), 1 back-to-back.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kevin Huerter: 15.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 20.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kevin Huerter playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kevin Huerter or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Kevin Huerter. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 202nd on our board to 203rd. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (127th to 197th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kevin Huerter or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Kevin Huerter is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kevin Huerter or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Kevin Huerter plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 60.6 for Kevin Huerter.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number