Scottie Barnes vs Stephen Curry: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Scottie Barnes in points leagues (42.0 fantasy points a game to 39.7) and Stephen Curry in 9-cat leagues (10th against 12th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #19
- 42.0 FP/G, slot 2.07, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #12
- +3.7 z, slot 1.12, $35
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #33
- 39.7 FP/G, slot 3.09, $25
- 9-cat leagues
- #10
- +3.9 z, slot 1.10, $37
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Scottie Barnes. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 39.7, 19th on our board to 33rd.
9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, +3.9 in summed z-scores against +3.7 (10th to 12th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Scottie Barnes is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Stephen Curry in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Stephen Curry produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 45.1, on 30.9 minutes a night against 33.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Scottie Barnes plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 126.0 projected fantasy points to 119.2 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 | Scottie Barnes | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.0 | 39.7 |
| Minutes | 33.5 | 30.9 |
| PointsPTS | 18.1 | 26.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.9 | 4.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 4.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.7% | 46.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.5% | 92.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 80 | 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 | Scottie Barnes | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.1 | 46.3 |
| Points | 19.4 | 30.9 |
| Rebounds | 8.1 | 4.2 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 5.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 3.3 |
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 | Scottie Barnes | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.2 | +1.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.7 | -1.0 |
| AssistsAST | +1.1 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.1 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.6 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +2.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.0 | -1.2 |
| Total | +3.7 | +3.9 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Scottie Barnes.
| Punt | Scottie Barnes | Stephen Curry |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +3.3 (#6) | +2.1 (#17) |
| REB | +2.8 (#19) | +5.3 (#6) |
| AST | +2.5 (#17) | +3.3 (#11) |
| STL | +2.5 (#17) | +3.6 (#12) |
| BLK | +2.0 (#24) | +4.8 (#7) |
| 3PM | +4.4 (#6) | +0.9 (#41) |
| FG% | +3.0 (#20) | +5.4 (#7) |
| FT% | +3.5 (#10) | +1.8 (#27) |
| TO | +4.6 (#15) | +5.3 (#9) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Scottie Barnes: 3 games (Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN).
- Stephen Curry: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Scottie Barnes: 40.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 42.0 on the board.
- Stephen Curry: 34.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 39.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Scottie Barnes or Stephen Curry in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Scottie Barnes. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 39.7, 19th on our board to 33rd. 9-cat leagues: Stephen Curry instead, +3.9 in summed z-scores against +3.7 (10th to 12th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Scottie Barnes or Stephen Curry?
Category by category, Scottie Barnes is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Stephen Curry in 3 (PTS, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Scottie Barnes or Stephen Curry?
Scottie Barnes plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Stephen Curry 3. For that week alone, start Scottie Barnes: 126.0 projected fantasy points to 119.2 for Stephen Curry.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number