Kyle Filipowski vs Stephon Castle: who to start in Week 1
Kyle Filipowski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 104.8 projected fantasy points to 76.0 for Kyle Filipowski. Over the season, Stephon Castle leads in points leagues (34.9 fantasy points a game to 25.3) and Kyle Filipowski in 9-cat leagues (144th against 145th). 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, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #133
- 25.3 FP/G, slot 12.01, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #144
- -2.4 z, slot 12.12, $3
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #47
- 34.9 FP/G, slot 4.11, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #145
- -2.4 z, slot 13.01, $3
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 25.3, 47th on our board to 133rd.
9-cat leagues: Kyle Filipowski instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (144th to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kyle Filipowski is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Stephon Castle produces more: 42.1 fantasy points to 40.5, on 29.8 minutes a night against 22.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Kyle Filipowski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 104.8 projected fantasy points to 76.0 for Kyle Filipowski.
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 | Kyle Filipowski | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.3 | 34.9 |
| Minutes | 22.5 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 10.9 | 17.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 7.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.6% | 73.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 68 |
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 | Kyle Filipowski | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.5 | 42.1 |
| Points | 17.4 | 20.6 |
| Rebounds | 10.8 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 8.4 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 3.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Kyle Filipowski | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | +0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Total | -2.4 | -2.4 |
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 rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Stephon Castle.
| Punt | Kyle Filipowski | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#125) | -2.5 (#198) |
| REB | -3.0 (#194) | -2.6 (#171) |
| AST | -1.8 (#138) | -4.2 (#253) |
| STL | -2.2 (#153) | -2.6 (#170) |
| BLK | -2.2 (#144) | -1.7 (#121) |
| 3PM | -1.6 (#120) | -2.2 (#146) |
| FG% | -2.9 (#155) | -2.6 (#142) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#137) | -1.5 (#115) |
| TO | -2.9 (#137) | -0.7 (#73) |
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)
- Kyle Filipowski: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL).
- Stephon Castle: 3 games (Tue OKC, Fri HOU, Sat @DAL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kyle Filipowski: 6.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 25.3 on the board.
- Stephon Castle: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 34.9 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kyle Filipowski playing tonight? · Is Stephon Castle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Stephon Castle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kyle Filipowski or Stephon Castle?
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.9 fantasy points per game against 25.3, 47th on our board to 133rd. 9-cat leagues: Kyle Filipowski instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (144th to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kyle Filipowski or Stephon Castle?
Category by category, Kyle Filipowski is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kyle Filipowski or Stephon Castle?
Kyle Filipowski plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 104.8 projected fantasy points to 76.0 for Kyle Filipowski.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number