LaMelo Ball vs Trae Young: who to start in Week 3
LaMelo Ball plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trae Young 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 140.4 for Trae Young. Over the season, LaMelo Ball leads in both formats: 35.4 fantasy points a game to 35.1, and 60th against 89th 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
- #53
- 35.4 FP/G, slot 5.05, $19
- 9-cat leagues
- #60
- -0.0 z, slot 5.12, $15
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #55
- 35.1 FP/G, slot 5.07, $18
- 9-cat leagues
- #89
- -0.9 z, slot 8.05, $10
The call
Points leagues: LaMelo Ball. 35.4 fantasy points per game against 35.1, 53rd on our board to 55th.
9-cat leagues: LaMelo Ball again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (60th to 89th).
Category by category, LaMelo Ball is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and 3PM) and Trae Young in 5 (PTS, AST, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, LaMelo Ball produces more: 47.0 fantasy points to 44.1, on 27.1 minutes a night against 28.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
LaMelo Ball plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trae Young 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 140.4 for Trae Young.
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 | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.4 | 35.1 |
| Minutes | 27.1 | 28.7 |
| PointsPTS | 18.3 | 18.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.3 | 2.5 |
| AssistsAST | 6.9 | 8.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 3.5 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.3% | 43.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.2% | 83.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.1 | 2.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 15 |
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 | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 47.0 | 44.1 |
| Points | 24.3 | 23.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 3.1 |
| Assists | 9.1 | 10.8 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 4.6 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 4.1 | 3.3 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | +1.6 | +2.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.9 | -0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | +1.9 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.9 | -0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.4 | -0.9 |
| Total | -0.0 | -0.9 |
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 steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Trae Young.
| Punt | LaMelo Ball | Trae Young |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#78) | -1.3 (#124) |
| REB | +0.8 (#39) | +0.5 (#46) |
| AST | -1.7 (#137) | -3.4 (#214) |
| STL | -0.9 (#91) | -0.5 (#71) |
| BLK | +1.1 (#35) | +0.2 (#55) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#148) | -1.1 (#99) |
| FG% | +2.2 (#26) | -0.1 (#59) |
| FT% | -0.6 (#78) | -1.9 (#136) |
| TO | +1.5 (#39) | +0.0 (#65) |
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)
- LaMelo Ball: 4 games (Mon MIL, Wed @HOU, Fri @NOP, Sun UTA).
- Trae Young: 4 games (Mon @ORL, Wed ATL, Fri @ATL, Sat @OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- LaMelo Ball: 31.7 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 35.4 on the board.
- Trae Young: 39.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 35.1 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is LaMelo Ball playing tonight? · Is Trae Young playing tonight?
Rookie cards: LaMelo Ball
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, LaMelo Ball or Trae Young?
Points leagues: LaMelo Ball. 35.4 fantasy points per game against 35.1, 53rd on our board to 55th. 9-cat leagues: LaMelo Ball again, -0.0 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (60th to 89th).
Who wins more categories, LaMelo Ball or Trae Young?
Category by category, LaMelo Ball is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and 3PM) and Trae Young in 5 (PTS, AST, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, LaMelo Ball or Trae Young?
LaMelo Ball plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trae Young 4. For that week alone, start LaMelo Ball: 141.6 projected fantasy points to 140.4 for Trae Young.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number