Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), PFs ranked 2nd and 2nd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 45.1
- 9-cat
- #24
- Last 7 FP
- 46.4
4 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 3 call
Jalen Johnson is listed Out (Ankle) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum has 3 games counted to 0 for Jalen Johnson, for 135.2 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Jayson Tatum again, 6.7 category value for the week to 0.0.
Jayson Tatum has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jalen Johnson played 34.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.3 on the board.
Jayson Tatum played 34.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.5 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 | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 34.4 (last 5) | 34.3 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 34.3 | 33.5 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 15.1 | 19.3 |
| Injury | Out (Ankle) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 135.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 6.7 |
Schedule: Jalen Johnson Mon @IND, Wed @WAS, Fri WAS, Sat BKN. Jayson Tatum Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 70.9 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 26.6 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 3.5 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 7.7 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 7.5 |
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: Jalen Johnson, 46.4 fantasy points per game to 45.1.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 23rd overall against 24th.
Jalen Johnson vs Jayson Tatum: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Johnson | Jayson Tatum |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 46.4 | 45.1 |
| Minutes | 34.3 | 33.5 |
| PointsPTS | 21.2 | 23.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 9.9 | 8.9 |
| AssistsAST | 7.9 | 6.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.9% | 41.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.2% | 83.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.3 | 2.5 |
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 Jalen Johnson playing tonight? · Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum in Week 3?
Jalen Johnson is listed Out (Ankle) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum has 3 games counted to 0 for Jalen Johnson, for 135.2 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Jayson Tatum again, 6.7 category value for the week to 0.0. Jayson Tatum has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jalen Johnson played 34.4 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 34.3 on the board. Jayson Tatum played 34.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.5 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum?
Points leagues: Jalen Johnson, 46.4 fantasy points per game to 45.1. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Johnson again, 23rd overall against 24th.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Johnson or Jayson Tatum?
Jalen Johnson is ahead in 4 (rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage); Jayson Tatum in 5 (points, steals, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number