Aaron Gordon vs Brandin Podziemski: who to start in Week 2
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brandin Podziemski 4. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 86.4 for Aaron Gordon. Over the season, Aaron Gordon leads in points leagues (28.8 fantasy points a game to 28.0) and Brandin Podziemski in 9-cat leagues (105th against 107th). 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 Oct 26, 6:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #96
- 28.8 FP/G, slot 8.12, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #107
- -1.4 z, slot 9.11, $7
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #101
- 28.0 FP/G, slot 9.05, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.4 z, slot 9.09, $8
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.8 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 96th on our board to 101st.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (105th to 107th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Brandin Podziemski in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Gordon produces more: 36.4 fantasy points to 35.1, on 28.5 minutes a night against 28.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brandin Podziemski 4. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 86.4 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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Aaron Gordon | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.8 | 28.0 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 28.7 |
| PointsPTS | 15.9 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 45.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.8% | 80.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 82 |
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 | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.4 | 35.1 |
| Points | 20.0 | 17.6 |
| Rebounds | 7.3 | 6.2 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 4.6 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Aaron Gordon | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.1 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +0.2 |
| Total | -1.4 | -1.4 |
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 assists, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Aaron Gordon.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#135) | -1.0 (#105) |
| REB | -1.8 (#125) | -1.1 (#100) |
| AST | -1.1 (#102) | -1.5 (#124) |
| STL | -0.8 (#87) | -1.9 (#137) |
| BLK | -0.9 (#88) | -0.6 (#77) |
| 3PM | -1.6 (#121) | -1.7 (#123) |
| FG% | -2.0 (#120) | -0.9 (#86) |
| FT% | -1.0 (#95) | -1.5 (#117) |
| TO | -2.4 (#123) | -1.6 (#98) |
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 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Aaron Gordon: 3 games (Mon GSW, Wed @NOP, Fri @PHX).
- Brandin Podziemski: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC).
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 29.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 28.8 on the board.
- Brandin Podziemski: 32.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 28.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Aaron Gordon playing tonight? · Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon, Brandin Podziemski
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or Brandin Podziemski?
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.8 fantasy points per game against 28.0, 96th on our board to 101st. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.4 (105th to 107th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Brandin Podziemski?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Brandin Podziemski in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Aaron Gordon or Brandin Podziemski?
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Brandin Podziemski 4. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 112.0 projected fantasy points to 86.4 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number