Julius Randle or LeBron James? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), PFs ranked 5th and 10th 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
- 41.1
- 9-cat
- #53
- Last 6 FP
- 40.2
4 games in Week 3
Week 3 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 3 call
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start LeBron James. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 41.1 fantasy points to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 0.9 category value for the week to -4.0.
Julius Randle has 2 back-to-backs in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Julius Randle played 33.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.4 on the board.
LeBron James played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.2 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.
Julius Randle rookie cardsLeBron James rookie cards
Week 3 (Nov 2-8), side by side
| This week | Julius Randle | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 2 | 0 |
| Games, Week 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.3 (last 5) | 33.0 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 33.4 | 33.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 16.2 | 15.1 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 112.2 | 123.2 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -4.0 | 0.9 |
Schedule: Julius Randle Mon @NYK, Wed CHA, Sat @ATL, Sun @DAL. LeBron James Mon CHI, Wed @DET, Fri @CLE, Sun @CHI.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Julius Randle | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 63.1 | 58.7 |
| Rebounds | 21.1 | 19.0 |
| Assists | 14.9 | 21.7 |
| Steals | 3.0 | 3.9 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 2.0 |
| Threes | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 9.6 | 8.4 |
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: LeBron James, 41.1 fantasy points per game to 37.4.
9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 53rd overall against 100th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Julius Randle | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 37.4 | 41.1 |
| Minutes | 33.4 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 21.0 | 19.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.0 | 6.3 |
| AssistsAST | 5.0 | 7.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.0% | 49.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.4% | 70.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 2.8 |
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 Julius Randle playing tonight? · Is LeBron James playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Julius Randle or LeBron James in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start LeBron James. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 41.1 fantasy points to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 0.9 category value for the week to -4.0. Julius Randle has 2 back-to-backs in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Julius Randle played 33.3 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.4 on the board. LeBron James played 33.0 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Julius Randle or LeBron James?
Points leagues: LeBron James, 41.1 fantasy points per game to 37.4. 9-cat leagues: LeBron James again, 53rd overall against 100th.
Who wins more categories, Julius Randle or LeBron James?
Julius Randle is ahead in 4 (points, rebounds, threes, free throw percentage); LeBron James in 5 (assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number