Jimmy Butler III or Yaxel Lendeborg? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), SFs ranked 6th and 11th 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
- 37.4
- 9-cat
- #15
- Last 10 FP
- 38.2
Out (Knee)
3 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in 9-cat leagues.
- FP/G
- 36.5
- 9-cat
- #75
- Last 8 FP
- 36.5
3 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in points leagues.
The Week 3 call
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands.
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Yaxel Lendeborg. Yaxel Lendeborg has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 72.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Yaxel Lendeborg has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board.
Yaxel Lendeborg played 30.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.9 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 | Jimmy Butler III | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 27.1 (last 5) | 30.6 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.1 | 31.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.3 | 16.7 |
| Injury | Out (Knee) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 72.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | -1.2 |
Schedule: Jimmy Butler III Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL. Yaxel Lendeborg Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 43.0 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 14.0 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 7.8 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 6.8 |
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 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Jimmy Butler III, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.5.
9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III again, 15th overall against 75th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Jimmy Butler III | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 36.5 |
| Minutes | 31.1 | 31.9 |
| PointsPTS | 20.0 | 21.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 4.9 | 3.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.8 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.4% | 76.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.4 |
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 Jimmy Butler III playing tonight? · Is Yaxel Lendeborg playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Jimmy Butler III or Yaxel Lendeborg in Week 3?
Jimmy Butler III is listed Out (Knee) on Sleeper, so his projection counts no games while that stands. Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Yaxel Lendeborg. Yaxel Lendeborg has 2 games counted to 0 for Jimmy Butler III, for 72.9 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Yaxel Lendeborg has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Jimmy Butler III's minutes are down: 27.1 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 31.1 on the board. Yaxel Lendeborg played 30.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 31.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Jimmy Butler III or Yaxel Lendeborg?
Points leagues: Jimmy Butler III, 37.4 fantasy points per game to 36.5. 9-cat leagues: Jimmy Butler III again, 15th overall against 75th.
Who wins more categories, Jimmy Butler III or Yaxel Lendeborg?
Jimmy Butler III is ahead in 5 (assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Yaxel Lendeborg in 4 (points, rebounds, blocks, threes), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number