Aaron Gordon vs DeMar DeRozan: who to start in Week 1
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start DeMar DeRozan: 58.0 projected fantasy points to 57.6 for Aaron Gordon. Over the season, DeMar DeRozan leads in points leagues (29.0 fantasy points a game to 28.8) and Aaron Gordon in 9-cat leagues (106th against 113th). 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #96
- 28.8 FP/G, slot 8.12, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #106
- -1.5 z, slot 9.10, $7
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #95
- 29.0 FP/G, slot 8.11, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #113
- -1.6 z, slot 10.05, $6
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 28.8, 95th on our board to 96th.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (106th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and TO) and DeMar DeRozan in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Gordon produces more: 36.4 fantasy points to 34.1, on 28.5 minutes a night against 30.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start DeMar DeRozan: 58.0 projected fantasy points to 57.6 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 | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.8 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 30.6 |
| PointsPTS | 15.9 | 17.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 49.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.8% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 77 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.4 | 34.1 |
| Points | 20.0 | 20.8 |
| Rebounds | 7.3 | 3.4 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 4.5 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 0.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.7 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.1 | +0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.5 |
| Total | -1.5 | -1.6 |
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, threes, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to DeMar DeRozan.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.5 (#133) | -1.9 (#157) |
| REB | -1.7 (#125) | -0.4 (#69) |
| AST | -1.1 (#107) | -1.8 (#137) |
| STL | -0.8 (#88) | -1.4 (#118) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#88) | -0.9 (#87) |
| 3PM | -1.6 (#123) | -0.6 (#81) |
| FG% | -2.1 (#125) | -2.1 (#124) |
| FT% | -1.0 (#93) | -2.6 (#163) |
| TO | -2.5 (#124) | -2.2 (#115) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Aaron Gordon: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 29.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 28.8 on the board.
- DeMar DeRozan: 14.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.0 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 DeMar DeRozan playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon, DeMar DeRozan
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan?
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan. 29.0 fantasy points per game against 28.8, 95th on our board to 96th. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.5 in summed z-scores against -1.6 (106th to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, 3PM and TO) and DeMar DeRozan in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan?
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), DeMar DeRozan 2. For that week alone, start DeMar DeRozan: 58.0 projected fantasy points to 57.6 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number