LeBron James vs Stephen Curry: who to start in Week 3
LeBron James plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.0 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Stephen Curry. Over the season, LeBron James leads in points leagues (41.3 fantasy points a game to 40.5) and Stephen Curry in 9-cat leagues (7th against 43rd). 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
- #21
- 41.3 FP/G, slot 2.09, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #43
- +0.6 z, slot 4.07, $19
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.5 FP/G, slot 2.12, $27
- 9-cat leagues
- #7
- +5.6 z, slot 1.07, $47
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: LeBron James. 41.3 fantasy points per game against 40.5, 21st on our board to 24th.
9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, +5.6 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (7th to 43rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, LeBron James is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Stephen Curry in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Stephen Curry produces more: 48.3 fantasy points to 44.7, on 30.2 minutes a night against 33.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
LeBron James plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.0 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Stephen Curry.
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 | LeBron James | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 41.3 | 40.5 |
| Minutes | 33.2 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 19.8 | 27.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.3 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 7.2 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.2 | 4.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.0% | 47.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 71.1% | 94.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 60 | 43 |
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 | LeBron James | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 44.7 | 48.3 |
| Points | 21.5 | 32.5 |
| Rebounds | 6.8 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 7.7 | 5.4 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 5.3 |
| Turnovers | 3.0 | 3.1 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | LeBron James | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | +1.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.2 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +1.7 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.0 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -0.5 | +2.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.5 | +2.8 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.0 | -0.7 |
| Total | +0.6 | +5.6 |
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: Stephen Curry stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | LeBron James | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#65) | +3.6 (#8) |
| REB | +0.1 (#56) | +6.7 (#6) |
| AST | -1.4 (#121) | +5.1 (#7) |
| STL | -0.2 (#64) | +5.1 (#5) |
| BLK | +0.4 (#47) | +6.4 (#6) |
| 3PM | +1.0 (#39) | +2.4 (#17) |
| FG% | -0.4 (#69) | +6.6 (#6) |
| FT% | +1.9 (#28) | +2.5 (#18) |
| TO | +1.6 (#37) | +6.3 (#7) |
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)
- LeBron James: 4 games (Mon CHI, Wed @DET, Fri @CLE, Sun @CHI).
- Stephen Curry: 3 games (Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- LeBron James: 40.2 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 41.3 on the board.
- Stephen Curry: 38.6 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 40.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is LeBron James playing tonight? · Is Stephen Curry playing tonight?
Rookie cards: LeBron James, Stephen Curry
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, LeBron James or Stephen Curry?
Points leagues: LeBron James. 41.3 fantasy points per game against 40.5, 21st on our board to 24th. 9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, +5.6 in summed z-scores against +0.6 (7th to 43rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, LeBron James or Stephen Curry?
Category by category, LeBron James is ahead in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%) and Stephen Curry in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, LeBron James or Stephen Curry?
LeBron James plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start LeBron James: 165.0 projected fantasy points to 121.5 for Stephen Curry.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number