Kyrie Irving vs Walker Kessler: who to start in Week 3
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 153.0 projected fantasy points to 143.5 for Kyrie Irving. Over the season, Walker Kessler leads in points leagues (38.2 fantasy points a game to 35.9) and Kyrie Irving in 9-cat leagues (9th against 11th). 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, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #49
- 35.9 FP/G, slot 5.01, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #9
- +4.5 z, slot 1.09, $41
Day to day (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #36
- 38.2 FP/G, slot 3.12, $23
- 9-cat leagues
- #11
- +3.4 z, slot 1.11, $35
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Walker Kessler. 38.2 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 36th on our board to 49th.
9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +3.4 (9th to 11th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Walker Kessler in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kyrie Irving produces more: 45.2 fantasy points to 44.7, on 28.6 minutes a night against 30.8. 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), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 153.0 projected fantasy points to 143.5 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 | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.9 | 38.2 |
| Minutes | 28.6 | 30.8 |
| PointsPTS | 21.4 | 14.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 10.6 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 2.2 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 0.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.7% | 71.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 100.0% | 60.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 5 |
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 | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.2 | 44.7 |
| Points | 26.9 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 12.4 |
| Assists | 6.0 | 2.2 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 0.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 2.5 |
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 | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | -0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | +3.1 |
| Threes3PM | +1.5 | -1.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.1 | +3.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | -2.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| Total | +4.5 | +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 points, assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Walker Kessler.
| Punt | Kyrie Irving | Walker Kessler |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +3.5 (#9) | +3.7 (#7) |
| REB | +5.7 (#8) | +1.0 (#32) |
| AST | +3.8 (#10) | +4.3 (#8) |
| STL | +4.0 (#10) | +2.8 (#15) |
| BLK | +4.7 (#8) | +0.0 (#60) |
| 3PM | +2.7 (#15) | +4.7 (#7) |
| FG% | +3.9 (#10) | -0.3 (#66) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#18) | +5.7 (#4) |
| TO | +4.8 (#11) | +3.5 (#17) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Kyrie Irving: 4 games (Mon SAC, Wed @SAS, Fri UTA, Sun BKN), listed DTD.
- Walker Kessler: 4 games (Mon MIA, Wed @SAC, Fri POR, Sun @DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kyrie Irving: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 35.9 on the board.
- Walker Kessler: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 38.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight? · Is Walker Kessler playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kyrie Irving or Walker Kessler?
Points leagues: Walker Kessler. 38.2 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 36th on our board to 49th. 9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +3.4 (9th to 11th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kyrie Irving or Walker Kessler?
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Walker Kessler in 5 (REB, STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Kyrie Irving or Walker Kessler?
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Walker Kessler 4. For that week alone, start Walker Kessler: 153.0 projected fantasy points to 143.5 for Kyrie Irving.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number