Aaron Gordon vs Ajay Mitchell: who to start in Week 3
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ajay Mitchell 4. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.0 for Aaron Gordon. Over the season, Aaron Gordon leads in points leagues (28.3 fantasy points a game to 27.6) and Ajay Mitchell in 9-cat leagues (72nd against 127th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #110
- 28.3 FP/G, slot 10.02, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -1.8 z, slot 11.07, $5
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #117
- 27.6 FP/G, slot 10.09, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.5 z, slot 6.12, $13
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.3 fantasy points per game against 27.6, 110th on our board to 117th.
9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (72nd to 127th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and TO) and Ajay Mitchell in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Ajay Mitchell produces more: 38.7 fantasy points to 35.8, on 25.7 minutes a night against 28.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ajay Mitchell 4. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.0 for Aaron Gordon.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Aaron Gordon | Ajay Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.3 | 27.6 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 25.7 |
| PointsPTS | 15.3 | 14.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 3.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.8% | 49.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 78.9% | 88.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 57 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Aaron Gordon | Ajay Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.8 | 38.7 |
| Points | 19.4 | 20.2 |
| Rebounds | 7.4 | 4.7 |
| Assists | 3.5 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.1 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Aaron Gordon | Ajay Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | -1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +0.6 |
| Total | -1.8 | -0.5 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting steals flips the 9-cat answer to Aaron Gordon.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Ajay Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#148) | -0.2 (#67) |
| REB | -2.0 (#138) | +0.5 (#45) |
| AST | -1.4 (#125) | -0.6 (#74) |
| STL | -1.1 (#102) | -1.4 (#112) |
| BLK | -1.3 (#106) | +0.0 (#63) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#139) | +0.1 (#53) |
| FG% | -1.9 (#125) | -0.8 (#86) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#128) | -1.3 (#108) |
| TO | -3.0 (#140) | -1.2 (#91) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Aaron Gordon: 3 games (Mon POR, Wed TOR, Sat @IND).
- Ajay Mitchell: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 23.5 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 28.3 on the board.
- Ajay Mitchell: 31.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 27.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Gordon playing tonight? · Is Ajay Mitchell playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon, Ajay Mitchell
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or Ajay Mitchell?
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.3 fantasy points per game against 27.6, 110th on our board to 117th. 9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (72nd to 127th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Ajay Mitchell?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and TO) and Ajay Mitchell in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Aaron Gordon or Ajay Mitchell?
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ajay Mitchell 4. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.0 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number