Jalen Williams or Lauri Markkanen? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), PFs ranked 9th and 13th 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
- 37.6
- 9-cat
- #17
- Last 6 FP
- 28.8
4 games in Week 3
Week 3 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 3 call
Jalen Williams is listed Out (Ankle) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Lauri Markkanen. Lauri Markkanen has 3 games counted to 0 for Jalen Williams, for 112.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 8.5 category value for the week to 0.0.
Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 28.9 on the board.
Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 27.5 a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, against 32.8 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 | Jalen Williams | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 31.6 (last 3) | 27.5 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 28.9 | 32.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 14.8 | 17.0 |
| Injury | Out (Ankle) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 112.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | 8.5 |
Schedule: Jalen Williams Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS. Lauri Markkanen Mon @SAS, Wed @NOP, Fri @DAL, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jalen Williams | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 71.4 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 19.9 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 6.1 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 2.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 8.2 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 4.2 |
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: Lauri Markkanen, 37.6 fantasy points per game to 32.5.
9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 17th overall against 80th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jalen Williams | Lauri Markkanen |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.5 | 37.6 |
| Minutes | 28.9 | 32.8 |
| PointsPTS | 16.5 | 23.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.7 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.8% | 45.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.2% | 89.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.4 |
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 Williams playing tonight? · Is Lauri Markkanen playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jalen Williams or Lauri Markkanen in Week 3?
Jalen Williams is listed Out (Ankle) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Lauri Markkanen. Lauri Markkanen has 3 games counted to 0 for Jalen Williams, for 112.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 8.5 category value for the week to 0.0. Jalen Williams's minutes are up: 31.6 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 28.9 on the board. Lauri Markkanen's minutes are down: 27.5 a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, against 32.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jalen Williams or Lauri Markkanen?
Points leagues: Lauri Markkanen, 37.6 fantasy points per game to 32.5. 9-cat leagues: Lauri Markkanen again, 17th overall against 80th.
Who wins more categories, Jalen Williams or Lauri Markkanen?
Jalen Williams is ahead in 3 (assists, steals, field goal percentage); Lauri Markkanen in 6 (points, rebounds, blocks, threes, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number