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Bruski 150SportsEthos 2026 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide
Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide 2026: Face-off, Kyrie Irving vs. Keyonte George
Last Updated on October 18, 2026 1:04 am by Keston Paul | Published: October 18, 2026
Our Fantasy Face-Off series will feature two SportsEthos staffers making their arguments in a head-to-head battle of comparable fantasy players.
Kyrie Irving and Keyonte George are typically going near the top of the fifth round, but both have ceilings way above their respective ADP. What is holding back managers from taking them? What is the argument for each side?
Tim takes the stand to testify for Irving, while Keston is ready to defend George.
Last Season
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | 3PTM | 3PTA | 3PT% | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 | DAL | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 24-25 | DAL | 50 | 50 | 36.1 | 8.9 | 18.9 | 47.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 91.6 | 2.9 | 7.2 | 40.1 | 24.7 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Season | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FGM | FGA | FG% | FTM | FTA | FT% | 3PTM | 3PTA | 3PT% | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 | UTA | 54 | 54 | 33.1 | 7.4 | 16.3 | 45.6 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 89.2 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 37.1 | 23.6 | 3.7 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 3.1 |
| 24-25 | UTA | 67 | 35 | 31.5 | 5.4 | 13.7 | 39.1 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 81.8 | 2.6 | 7.6 | 34.3 | 16.8 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 2.7 |
After tearing his ACL in March of 2025, Kyrie Irving is set to take the floor 19 months later. That should mean that there are no lingering effects from such a significant injury, but on the other hand, he is a player who has suffered from numerous injuries throughout his career. If you move that to the side, Irving has been an impressively efficient star throughout his career, and on a per-game basis, he has been a first-round 9-cat performer for multiple years. He generates efficient points, threes on good volume, defensive stats, some solid rebounds from a guard and a useful number of assists. Irving has made a career of fitting next to megastars like LeBron James and Cooper Flagg, so if he hasn’t lost a step and can remain upright, the expectations should be that he and Flagg can elevate the play of each other.
Keyonte George took his first leap toward stardom in 2025-26 and would have arguably been the leading candidate for Most Improved Player if he had hit the 65-game threshold. While the Jazz were tanking, George was a shining light in multiple fourth-quarter battles, going shot for shot with opposing teams before the Jazz began dialing it back later in the season. With a five-year, $157.5 extension, he is ready to be one of the faces of a potential winning era for the Jazz with his new backcourt mate, Darryn Peterson. The questions will be about whether he can replicate 2025-26, build on it, or take some steps back with the introduction of Peterson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and hopefully a full season of Lauri Markkanen, but George is the most reliable ball-handler on the team and has earned his share of shots and touches.
Both are players with tremendous upside to beat their ADP despite the uncertainties. For Irving, that is due to the injury concerns, while for George, it is because he doesn’t have more than one season of proving he can do it at a high level.
The Case for Kyrie Irving
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