Kyrie Irving vs LaMelo Ball: who to start in Week 3
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), LaMelo Ball 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving. Over the season, Kyrie Irving leads in both formats: 35.9 fantasy points a game to 35.4, and 8th against 60th in 9-cat. 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #49
- 35.9 FP/G, slot 5.01, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #8
- +4.5 z, slot 1.08, $41
Out (Knee)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #53
- 35.4 FP/G, slot 5.05, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #60
- -0.0 z, slot 5.12, $15
The call
Points leagues: Kyrie Irving. 35.9 fantasy points per game against 35.4, 49th on our board to 53rd.
9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving again, +4.5 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (8th to 60th).
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, LaMelo Ball produces more: 47.0 fantasy points to 45.2, on 27.1 minutes a night against 28.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), LaMelo Ball 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
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 | Kyrie Irving | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.9 | 35.4 |
| Minutes | 28.6 | 27.1 |
| PointsPTS | 21.4 | 18.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.7% | 40.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 100.0% | 85.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 3.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 72 |
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 | Kyrie Irving | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.2 | 47.0 |
| Points | 26.9 | 24.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 5.8 |
| Assists | 6.0 | 9.1 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 4.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 4.1 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Kyrie Irving | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | +1.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | +1.6 | +1.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | -1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -1.4 |
| Total | +4.5 | -0.0 |
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: Kyrie Irving stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Kyrie Irving | LaMelo Ball |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +3.6 (#9) | -0.4 (#78) |
| REB | +5.6 (#8) | +0.8 (#39) |
| AST | +3.9 (#10) | -1.7 (#137) |
| STL | +4.0 (#10) | -0.9 (#91) |
| BLK | +4.8 (#7) | +1.1 (#35) |
| 3PM | +2.6 (#14) | -2.0 (#148) |
| FG% | +3.9 (#11) | +2.2 (#26) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#17) | -0.6 (#78) |
| TO | +4.7 (#12) | +1.5 (#39) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Kyrie Irving: 4 games (Mon SAC, Wed @SAS, Fri UTA, Sun BKN), listed Out.
- LaMelo Ball: 4 games (Mon MIL, Wed @HOU, Fri @NOP, Sun UTA).
Recent games
- Kyrie Irving: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 35.9 on the board.
- LaMelo Ball: 31.7 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 35.4 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight? · Is LaMelo Ball playing tonight?
Rookie cards: LaMelo Ball
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kyrie Irving or LaMelo Ball?
Points leagues: Kyrie Irving. 35.9 fantasy points per game against 35.4, 49th on our board to 53rd. 9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving again, +4.5 in summed z-scores against -0.0 (8th to 60th).
Who wins more categories, Kyrie Irving or LaMelo Ball?
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and LaMelo Ball in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 3, Kyrie Irving or LaMelo Ball?
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), LaMelo Ball 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number