Kyrie Irving vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 3
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Kyrie Irving. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in points leagues (36.0 fantasy points a game to 35.9) and Kyrie Irving in 9-cat leagues (8th against 54th). 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 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #48
- 36.0 FP/G, slot 4.12, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #54
- +0.2 z, slot 5.06, $17
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 48th on our board to 49th.
9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (8th to 54th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 3 (REB, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Kyrie Irving produces more: 45.2 fantasy points to 42.8, on 28.6 minutes a night against 30.3. 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), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.9 | 36.0 |
| Minutes | 28.6 | 30.3 |
| PointsPTS | 21.4 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 5.3 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 3.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 3.2 | 0.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 52.7% | 61.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 100.0% | 71.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 0 | 62 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.2 | 42.8 |
| Points | 26.9 | 24.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 6.0 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 2.6 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.5 | -0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.2 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +1.6 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.0 | +2.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.7 | -1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.3 | -0.3 |
| Total | +4.5 | +0.2 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +3.6 (#9) | -0.7 (#90) |
| REB | +5.6 (#8) | +0.1 (#58) |
| AST | +3.9 (#10) | +0.3 (#48) |
| STL | +4.0 (#10) | -1.5 (#118) |
| BLK | +4.8 (#7) | +0.3 (#53) |
| 3PM | +2.6 (#14) | +1.7 (#30) |
| FG% | +3.9 (#11) | -3.3 (#177) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#17) | +1.9 (#27) |
| TO | +4.7 (#12) | +0.3 (#56) |
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.
- Zion Williamson: 4 games (Mon @MEM, Wed UTA, Fri MIN, Sun @LAC).
Recent games
- Kyrie Irving: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 35.9 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 39.0 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 36.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kyrie Irving or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 36.0 fantasy points per game against 35.9, 48th on our board to 49th. 9-cat leagues: Kyrie Irving instead, +4.5 in summed z-scores against +0.2 (8th to 54th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Kyrie Irving or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Kyrie Irving is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 3 (REB, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Kyrie Irving or Zion Williamson?
Kyrie Irving plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Zion Williamson 4. For that week alone, start Zion Williamson: 144.0 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