Nic Claxton vs Ziaire Williams: who to start in Week 3
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ziaire Williams 4. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton. Over the season, Nic Claxton leads in points leagues (29.5 fantasy points a game to 19.7) and Ziaire Williams in 9-cat leagues (153rd against 154th). 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
- #98
- 29.5 FP/G, slot 9.02, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #154
- -2.4 z, slot 13.10, $1
Out (Hamstring)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #224
- 19.7 FP/G, slot 19.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #153
- -2.4 z, slot 13.09, $1
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 19.7, 98th on our board to 224th.
9-cat leagues: Ziaire Williams instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (153rd to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Nic Claxton is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Ziaire Williams in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Nic Claxton produces more: 38.1 fantasy points to 29.4, on 27.8 minutes a night against 24.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ziaire Williams 4. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
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 | Nic Claxton | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.5 | 19.7 |
| Minutes | 27.8 | 24.1 |
| PointsPTS | 11.7 | 10.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 2.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.1 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 57.1% | 45.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 61.6% | 85.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 56 |
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 | Nic Claxton | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.1 | 29.4 |
| Points | 15.2 | 15.6 |
| Rebounds | 9.0 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Nic Claxton | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.9 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.9 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.2 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -2.0 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.4 | -2.4 |
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 steals, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Nic Claxton.
| Punt | Nic Claxton | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#144) | -1.4 (#132) |
| REB | -3.3 (#207) | -1.1 (#101) |
| AST | -2.5 (#177) | -1.3 (#118) |
| STL | -1.5 (#123) | -3.4 (#209) |
| BLK | -3.7 (#202) | -1.9 (#127) |
| 3PM | -0.6 (#77) | -2.3 (#168) |
| FG% | -4.4 (#233) | -2.2 (#132) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#73) | -2.8 (#180) |
| TO | -3.3 (#150) | -3.8 (#166) |
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)
- Nic Claxton: 3 games (Mon @PHI, Wed @NYK, Sun PHI), listed Out.
- Ziaire Williams: 4 games (Mon MIA, Wed @SAC, Fri POR, Sun @DET), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Nic Claxton: 20.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 29.5 on the board.
- Ziaire Williams: 22.7 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 19.7 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Nic Claxton playing tonight? · Is Ziaire Williams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Nic Claxton or Ziaire Williams?
Points leagues: Nic Claxton. 29.5 fantasy points per game against 19.7, 98th on our board to 224th. 9-cat leagues: Ziaire Williams instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (153rd to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Nic Claxton or Ziaire Williams?
Category by category, Nic Claxton is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and FG%) and Ziaire Williams in 4 (STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Nic Claxton or Ziaire Williams?
Nic Claxton plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ziaire Williams 4. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Nic Claxton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number