Kyle Kuzma vs Tari Eason: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Kyle Kuzma in points leagues (23.9 fantasy points a game to 23.9) and Tari Eason in 9-cat leagues (153rd against 216th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #150
- 23.9 FP/G, slot 13.06, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #216
- -4.1 z, slot 18.12
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #151
- 23.9 FP/G, slot 13.07, $2
- 9-cat leagues
- #153
- -2.6 z, slot 13.09, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Kyle Kuzma. 23.9 fantasy points per game against 23.9, 150th on our board to 151st.
9-cat leagues: Tari Eason instead, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -4.1 (153rd to 216th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kyle Kuzma is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FG%) and Tari Eason in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Tari Eason produces more: 33.3 fantasy points to 32.9, on 25.8 minutes a night against 26.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kyle Kuzma plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Tari Eason 3. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 71.8 projected fantasy points to 71.6 for Tari Eason.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Kyle Kuzma | Tari Eason |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 23.9 | 23.9 |
| Minutes | 26.2 | 25.8 |
| PointsPTS | 13.0 | 10.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.5 | 6.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 41.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 72.6% | 77.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 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 | Kyle Kuzma | Tari Eason |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 32.9 | 33.3 |
| Points | 17.9 | 14.6 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 8.7 |
| Assists | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 2.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 1.9 |
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 | Tari Eason |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | +0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | +0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.7 |
| Total | -4.1 | -2.6 |
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: Tari Eason stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Kyle Kuzma | Tari Eason |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.5 (#252) | -1.5 (#132) |
| REB | -3.7 (#238) | -2.9 (#184) |
| AST | -3.7 (#230) | -1.5 (#128) |
| STL | -3.2 (#195) | -3.1 (#192) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#219) | -2.3 (#146) |
| 3PM | -3.7 (#216) | -2.4 (#154) |
| FG% | -4.7 (#235) | -1.6 (#107) |
| FT% | -3.5 (#193) | -2.5 (#153) |
| TO | -4.4 (#188) | -3.3 (#150) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Kyle Kuzma: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Tari Eason: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kyle Kuzma: 21.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 23.9 on the board.
- Tari Eason: 24.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 23.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Kyle Kuzma or Tari Eason in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Kyle Kuzma. 23.9 fantasy points per game against 23.9, 150th on our board to 151st. 9-cat leagues: Tari Eason instead, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -4.1 (153rd to 216th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kyle Kuzma or Tari Eason?
Category by category, Kyle Kuzma is ahead in 3 (PTS, AST and FG%) and Tari Eason in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Kyle Kuzma or Tari Eason?
Kyle Kuzma plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Tari Eason 3. For that week alone, start Kyle Kuzma: 71.8 projected fantasy points to 71.6 for Tari Eason.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number