Kyle Kuzma vs Luke Kennard: who to start in Week 2
Kyle Kuzma plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 74.2 projected fantasy points to 32.5 for Luke Kennard. Over the season, Kyle Kuzma leads in points leagues (24.7 fantasy points a game to 16.2) and Luke Kennard in 9-cat leagues (188th against 190th). 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #136
- 24.7 FP/G, slot 12.04, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #190
- -3.5 z, slot 16.10
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #259
- 16.2 FP/G, slot 22.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #188
- -3.4 z, slot 16.08
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.7 fantasy points per game against 16.2, 136th on our board to 259th.
9-cat leagues: Luke Kennard instead, -3.4 in summed z-scores against -3.5 (188th to 190th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kyle Kuzma is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and BLK) and Luke Kennard in 4 (3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kyle Kuzma produces more: 33.0 fantasy points to 27.8, on 27.0 minutes a night against 21.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Kyle Kuzma plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 74.2 projected fantasy points to 32.5 for Luke Kennard.
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 | Kyle Kuzma | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.7 | 16.2 |
| Minutes | 27.0 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 12.9 | 8.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.4 | 2.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.9% | 54.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 72.8% | 91.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 78 |
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 Kuzma | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 33.0 | 27.8 |
| Points | 17.2 | 14.6 |
| Rebounds | 7.2 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 1.2 |
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 | Kyle Kuzma | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -1.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.4 | +0.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.5 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.1 | +1.5 |
| Total | -3.5 | -3.4 |
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, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Kyle Kuzma.
| Punt | Kyle Kuzma | Luke Kennard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.9 (#211) | -2.1 (#174) |
| REB | -3.6 (#216) | -1.9 (#132) |
| AST | -3.1 (#197) | -2.7 (#185) |
| STL | -2.6 (#168) | -2.6 (#164) |
| BLK | -3.0 (#168) | -2.3 (#144) |
| 3PM | -3.2 (#189) | -3.5 (#207) |
| FG% | -3.9 (#201) | -4.1 (#212) |
| FT% | -3.0 (#183) | -3.7 (#205) |
| TO | -3.7 (#163) | -5.0 (#208) |
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)
- Kyle Kuzma: 3 games (Mon IND, Wed HOU, Sat CLE).
- Luke Kennard: 2 games (Mon @OKC, Fri DEN).
Recent games
- Kyle Kuzma: 27.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 24.7 on the board.
- Luke Kennard: 16.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 16.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kyle Kuzma playing tonight? · Is Luke Kennard playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kyle Kuzma or Luke Kennard?
Points leagues: Kyle Kuzma. 24.7 fantasy points per game against 16.2, 136th on our board to 259th. 9-cat leagues: Luke Kennard instead, -3.4 in summed z-scores against -3.5 (188th to 190th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kyle Kuzma or Luke Kennard?
Category by category, Kyle Kuzma is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and BLK) and Luke Kennard in 4 (3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kyle Kuzma or Luke Kennard?
Kyle Kuzma plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Luke Kennard 2. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 74.2 projected fantasy points to 32.5 for Luke Kennard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number