Austin Reaves or James Harden? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), SGs ranked 5th and 8th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Nov 3, 4:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 37.3
- 9-cat
- #32
- Last 8 FP
- 34.7
4 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 39.0
- 9-cat
- #37
- Last 7 FP
- 31.8
4 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in points leagues.
The Week 3 call
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start James Harden. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 39.0 fantasy points to 37.3.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 4.7 category value for the week to 3.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Austin Reaves has 1 back-to-back and James Harden has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Austin Reaves played 36.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.0 on the board.
James Harden played 33.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.4 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8), side by side
| This week | Austin Reaves | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 36.0 (last 5) | 33.7 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 35.0 | 34.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.8 | 14.3 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 111.9 | 117.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 4.7 | 3.2 |
Schedule: Austin Reaves Mon MIA, Wed @SAC, Fri POR, Sun @DET. James Harden Mon OKC, Wed @OKC, Fri PHI, Sat NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Austin Reaves | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 70.2 | 63.8 |
| Rebounds | 12.6 | 14.3 |
| Assists | 16.1 | 22.3 |
| Steals | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 7.1 | 8.7 |
| Turnovers | 10.6 | 10.0 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 5 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: James Harden, 39.0 fantasy points per game to 37.3.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 32nd overall against 37th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Austin Reaves vs James Harden: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Austin Reaves | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.3 | 39.0 |
| Minutes | 35.0 | 34.4 |
| PointsPTS | 23.4 | 21.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.2 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 5.4 | 7.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 2.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.6% | 42.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.9% | 86.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.5 | 3.3 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 3 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Austin Reaves playing tonight? · Is James Harden playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Austin Reaves or James Harden in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start James Harden. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 39.0 fantasy points to 37.3. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 4.7 category value for the week to 3.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Austin Reaves has 1 back-to-back and James Harden has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Austin Reaves played 36.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 35.0 on the board. James Harden played 33.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Austin Reaves or James Harden?
Points leagues: James Harden, 39.0 fantasy points per game to 37.3. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, 32nd overall against 37th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Austin Reaves or James Harden?
Austin Reaves is ahead in 4 (points, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); James Harden in 5 (rebounds, assists, steals, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number