RJ Barrett vs Rudy Gobert: who to start in Week 2
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 126.8 projected fantasy points to 97.5 for RJ Barrett. Over the season, RJ Barrett leads in points leagues (32.5 fantasy points a game to 31.7) and Rudy Gobert in 9-cat leagues (148th against 149th). 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 28, 12:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #62
- 32.5 FP/G, slot 6.02, $16
- 9-cat leagues
- #149
- -2.4 z, slot 13.05, $2
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #67
- 31.7 FP/G, slot 6.07, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #148
- -2.4 z, slot 13.04, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 62nd on our board to 67th.
9-cat leagues: Rudy Gobert instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (148th to 149th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, RJ Barrett is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, RJ Barrett produces more: 38.5 fantasy points to 36.2, on 30.3 minutes a night against 31.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 126.8 projected fantasy points to 97.5 for RJ Barrett.
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 | RJ Barrett | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.5 | 31.7 |
| Minutes | 30.3 | 31.6 |
| PointsPTS | 19.6 | 10.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 12.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.5% | 63.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.3% | 51.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 76 |
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 | RJ Barrett | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.5 | 36.2 |
| Points | 23.2 | 11.7 |
| Rebounds | 6.2 | 13.8 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Threes | 1.7 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 1.7 |
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 | RJ Barrett | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.6 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | +2.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +1.5 |
| Threes3PM | -0.2 | -1.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.3 | +1.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.7 | -4.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +0.4 |
| 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 rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to RJ Barrett.
| Punt | RJ Barrett | Rudy Gobert |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.0 (#220) | -1.2 (#117) |
| REB | -2.6 (#166) | -6.0 (#331) |
| AST | -2.4 (#170) | -1.2 (#107) |
| STL | -1.8 (#138) | -1.2 (#112) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#126) | -4.3 (#240) |
| 3PM | -2.2 (#147) | -0.2 (#68) |
| FG% | -3.3 (#171) | -5.3 (#261) |
| FT% | -0.8 (#89) | +1.7 (#28) |
| TO | -2.8 (#128) | -2.8 (#130) |
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)
- RJ Barrett: 3 games (Wed ORL, Fri ORL, Sun @LAL).
- Rudy Gobert: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sat @SAS), 2 back-to-backs.
Recent games
- RJ Barrett: 34.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board.
- Rudy Gobert: 26.9 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 31.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is RJ Barrett playing tonight? · Is Rudy Gobert playing tonight?
Rookie cards: RJ Barrett, Rudy Gobert
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, RJ Barrett or Rudy Gobert?
Points leagues: RJ Barrett. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 31.7, 62nd on our board to 67th. 9-cat leagues: Rudy Gobert instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (148th to 149th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, RJ Barrett or Rudy Gobert?
Category by category, RJ Barrett is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Rudy Gobert in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, RJ Barrett or Rudy Gobert?
RJ Barrett plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Rudy Gobert 4. For that week alone, start Rudy Gobert: 126.8 projected fantasy points to 97.5 for RJ Barrett.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number