Marcus Smart vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 2
Marcus Smart plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Marcus Smart. Over the season, Ryan Kalkbrenner leads in both formats: 20.2 fantasy points a game to 20.1, and 127th against 196th 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 Oct 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #204
- 20.1 FP/G, slot 17.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #196
- -3.6 z, slot 17.04
Out (Forearm)
- Points leagues
- #203
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -1.9 z, slot 11.07, $4
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 203rd on our board to 204th.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (127th to 196th).
Category by category, Marcus Smart is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Kalkbrenner produces more: 34.6 fantasy points to 25.9, on 21.0 minutes a night against 28.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Marcus Smart plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Marcus Smart.
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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Marcus Smart | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.1 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 28.0 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 9.1 | 7.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 39.7% | 75.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.4% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 62 | 69 |
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 | Marcus Smart | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 25.9 | 34.6 |
| Points | 11.7 | 12.3 |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 3.6 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 1.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Marcus Smart | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | +0.8 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.1 | +1.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +1.2 |
| Total | -3.6 | -1.9 |
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 blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Marcus Smart.
| Punt | Marcus Smart | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.4 (#189) | -0.3 (#73) |
| REB | -2.4 (#161) | -2.0 (#138) |
| AST | -3.3 (#203) | -0.5 (#74) |
| STL | -4.6 (#272) | -0.3 (#68) |
| BLK | -3.1 (#172) | -4.0 (#220) |
| 3PM | -3.5 (#211) | -0.1 (#64) |
| FG% | -2.7 (#147) | -4.1 (#217) |
| FT% | -3.8 (#207) | -1.5 (#118) |
| TO | -4.1 (#178) | -3.2 (#151) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Marcus Smart: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Marcus Smart: 13.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 20.1 on the board.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 20.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Marcus Smart playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Marcus Smart or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 203rd on our board to 204th. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner again, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (127th to 196th).
Who wins more categories, Marcus Smart or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Marcus Smart is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Marcus Smart or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Marcus Smart plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Ryan Kalkbrenner 4. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 80.6 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Marcus Smart.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number