Kon Knueppel vs LeBron James: who to start in Week 2
Kon Knueppel plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 122.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kon Knueppel. Over the season, LeBron James leads in points leagues (40.9 fantasy points a game to 30.8) and Kon Knueppel in 9-cat leagues (46th against 47th). 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 28, 2:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #75
- 30.8 FP/G, slot 7.03, $13
- 9-cat leagues
- #46
- +0.4 z, slot 4.10, $18
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.12, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #47
- +0.4 z, slot 4.11, $17
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: LeBron James. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 24th on our board to 75th.
9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (46th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 3 (3PM, FT% and TO) and LeBron James in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, LeBron James produces more: 44.3 fantasy points to 35.2, on 33.2 minutes a night against 31.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Kon Knueppel plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 122.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kon Knueppel.
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 | Kon Knueppel | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.8 | 40.9 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 18.5 | 20.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.3 | 6.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.4 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.5% | 50.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.3% | 71.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 81 | 60 |
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 | Kon Knueppel | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.2 | 44.3 |
| Points | 21.1 | 21.9 |
| Rebounds | 6.1 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 7.5 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 3.2 |
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 | Kon Knueppel | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.4 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.8 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | -1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.1 | -1.4 |
| Total | +0.4 | +0.4 |
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 threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to LeBron James.
| Punt | Kon Knueppel | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#60) | -0.4 (#74) |
| REB | +0.6 (#42) | -0.1 (#61) |
| AST | +0.4 (#47) | -1.5 (#124) |
| STL | +1.1 (#32) | -0.5 (#75) |
| BLK | +1.2 (#35) | +0.4 (#46) |
| 3PM | -1.6 (#115) | +0.8 (#39) |
| FG% | +0.8 (#44) | -0.6 (#77) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#72) | +1.7 (#31) |
| TO | +0.5 (#56) | +1.8 (#36) |
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)
- Kon Knueppel: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- LeBron James: 3 games (Wed @IND, Fri NYK, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kon Knueppel: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.8 on the board.
- LeBron James: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kon Knueppel playing tonight? · Is LeBron James playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Kon Knueppel, LeBron James
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kon Knueppel or LeBron James?
Points leagues: LeBron James. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 30.8, 24th on our board to 75th. 9-cat leagues: Kon Knueppel instead, +0.4 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (46th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kon Knueppel or LeBron James?
Category by category, Kon Knueppel is ahead in 3 (3PM, FT% and TO) and LeBron James in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kon Knueppel or LeBron James?
Kon Knueppel plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 122.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kon Knueppel.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 2:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number