Aaron Gordon vs Deandre Ayton: who to start in Week 2
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Gordon: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Deandre Ayton. Over the season, Aaron Gordon leads in points leagues (28.1 fantasy points a game to 24.0) and Deandre Ayton in 9-cat leagues (119th against 121st). 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 28, 8:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #101
- 28.1 FP/G, slot 9.05, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #121
- -1.8 z, slot 11.01, $5
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #144
- 24.0 FP/G, slot 12.12, $3
- 9-cat leagues
- #119
- -1.7 z, slot 10.11, $5
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.1 fantasy points per game against 24.0, 101st on our board to 144th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (119th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Deandre Ayton in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Gordon produces more: 35.8 fantasy points to 35.3, on 28.3 minutes a night against 24.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Gordon: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Deandre Ayton.
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 | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.1 | 24.0 |
| Minutes | 28.3 | 24.5 |
| PointsPTS | 15.4 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.7 | 7.3 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 0.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 67.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 63.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 72 |
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 | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.8 | 35.3 |
| Points | 19.5 | 16.1 |
| Rebounds | 7.2 | 10.7 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.3 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.5 |
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 | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.0 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +2.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +1.1 |
| Total | -1.8 | -1.7 |
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 rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Aaron Gordon.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#149) | -0.8 (#94) |
| REB | -2.1 (#144) | -2.7 (#172) |
| AST | -1.4 (#119) | -0.3 (#65) |
| STL | -1.2 (#108) | -0.4 (#68) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#98) | -2.4 (#148) |
| 3PM | -1.8 (#133) | -0.0 (#57) |
| FG% | -2.0 (#123) | -4.7 (#232) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#116) | -0.9 (#92) |
| TO | -2.8 (#134) | -3.0 (#138) |
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).
- Deandre Ayton: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed @CLE, Fri CHA).
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 25.5 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 28.1 on the board.
- Deandre Ayton: 13.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 24.0 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 Deandre Ayton playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or Deandre Ayton?
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon. 28.1 fantasy points per game against 24.0, 101st on our board to 144th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (119th to 121st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Deandre Ayton?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Deandre Ayton in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Aaron Gordon or Deandre Ayton?
Aaron Gordon plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Aaron Gordon: 84.4 projected fantasy points to 72.1 for Deandre Ayton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 8:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number