Desmond Bane or Fred VanVleet? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), SGs ranked 12th and 21st at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 32.2
- 9-cat
- #48
- Last 7 FP
- 28.9
3 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 Desmond Bane. Both have 2 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 32.2 fantasy points to 31.3.
9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet instead, 1.3 category value for the week to 0.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Desmond Bane has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Desmond Bane's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, against 34.0 on the board.
Fred VanVleet played 29.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 29.8 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 | Desmond Bane | Fred VanVleet |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 36.7 (last 5) | 29.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 34.0 | 29.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 14.7 | 13.7 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 64.3 | 62.6 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.8 | 1.3 |
Schedule: Desmond Bane Mon WAS, Thu @PHX, Sat @GSW. Fred VanVleet Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Fred VanVleet |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 38.8 | 24.3 |
| Rebounds | 7.9 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 7.3 | 13.7 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 3.3 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 5.0 | 4.7 |
| Turnovers | 4.5 | 2.0 |
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: Desmond Bane, 32.2 fantasy points per game to 31.3.
9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet instead, 42nd overall against 48th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Desmond Bane vs Fred VanVleet: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Desmond Bane | Fred VanVleet |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.2 | 31.3 |
| Minutes | 34.0 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 19.4 | 12.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 6.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.3% | 36.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.0% | 84.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.2 | 1.0 |
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 Desmond Bane playing tonight? · Is Fred VanVleet playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Desmond Bane or Fred VanVleet in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Desmond Bane. Both have 2 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 32.2 fantasy points to 31.3. 9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet instead, 1.3 category value for the week to 0.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Desmond Bane has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Desmond Bane's minutes are up: 36.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, against 34.0 on the board. Fred VanVleet played 29.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 29.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Desmond Bane or Fred VanVleet?
Points leagues: Desmond Bane, 32.2 fantasy points per game to 31.3. 9-cat leagues: Fred VanVleet instead, 42nd overall against 48th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Desmond Bane or Fred VanVleet?
Desmond Bane is ahead in 6 (points, rebounds, blocks, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Fred VanVleet in 3 (assists, steals, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number