Pascal Siakam vs Ryan Kalkbrenner: who to start in Week 1
Pascal Siakam plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 60.5 for Ryan Kalkbrenner. Over the season, Pascal Siakam leads in both formats: 39.3 fantasy points a game to 20.2, and 124th against 126th 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #32
- 39.3 FP/G, slot 3.08, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #124
- -1.8 z, slot 11.04, $5
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #203
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #126
- -1.9 z, slot 11.06, $4
The call
Points leagues: Pascal Siakam. 39.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 32nd on our board to 203rd.
9-cat leagues: Pascal Siakam again, -1.8 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (124th to 126th).
Category by category, Pascal Siakam is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Pascal Siakam produces more: 42.8 fantasy points to 34.6, on 33.0 minutes a night against 21.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Pascal Siakam plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 60.5 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
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 | Pascal Siakam | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 33.0 | 21.0 |
| PointsPTS | 24.3 | 7.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.5 | 5.5 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.5% | 75.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 66.1% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 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 | Pascal Siakam | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 42.8 | 34.6 |
| Points | 26.4 | 12.3 |
| Rebounds | 7.1 | 9.4 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 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 | Pascal Siakam | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.4 | -1.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -1.3 |
| StealsSTL | +0.0 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +1.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.3 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -2.7 | -0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.6 | +1.2 |
| Total | -1.8 | -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 points, rebounds, assists, steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Ryan Kalkbrenner.
| Punt | Pascal Siakam | Ryan Kalkbrenner |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.4 (#238) | -0.4 (#76) |
| REB | -2.7 (#174) | -2.0 (#138) |
| AST | -2.1 (#152) | -0.6 (#78) |
| STL | -2.0 (#141) | -0.3 (#71) |
| BLK | -1.5 (#109) | -4.1 (#223) |
| 3PM | -2.1 (#142) | -0.2 (#68) |
| FG% | -3.3 (#165) | -4.2 (#216) |
| FT% | +0.7 (#43) | -1.6 (#119) |
| TO | -1.2 (#85) | -3.3 (#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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Pascal Siakam: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Pascal Siakam: 34.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 39.3 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 Pascal Siakam playing tonight? · Is Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Pascal Siakam, Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Pascal Siakam or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Points leagues: Pascal Siakam. 39.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 32nd on our board to 203rd. 9-cat leagues: Pascal Siakam again, -1.8 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (124th to 126th).
Who wins more categories, Pascal Siakam or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Category by category, Pascal Siakam is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Pascal Siakam or Ryan Kalkbrenner?
Pascal Siakam plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ryan Kalkbrenner 3. For that week alone, start Pascal Siakam: 117.8 projected fantasy points to 60.5 for Ryan Kalkbrenner.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number