Aaron Gordon vs Ivica Zubac: who to start in Week 1
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 95.9 projected fantasy points to 58.2 for Aaron Gordon. Over the season, Ivica Zubac leads in points leagues (32.0 fantasy points a game to 29.1) and Aaron Gordon in 9-cat leagues (88th against 90th). 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #94
- 29.1 FP/G, slot 8.10, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #88
- -1.1 z, slot 8.04, $9
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #68
- 32.0 FP/G, slot 6.08, $15
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $9
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 68th on our board to 94th.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (88th to 90th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ivica Zubac in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.4 fantasy points to 37.4, on 29.9 minutes a night against 28.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 95.9 projected fantasy points to 58.2 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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.1 | 32.0 |
| Minutes | 28.0 | 29.9 |
| PointsPTS | 16.4 | 13.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 10.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 2.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.6% | 59.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.2% | 68.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 48 |
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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.4 | 38.4 |
| Points | 21.1 | 16.7 |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 13.1 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 0.0 |
| 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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.0 | -0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | +2.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -0.9 | -1.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.1 | -1.1 |
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 points, assists, steals, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#118) | -0.7 (#91) |
| REB | -1.3 (#112) | -3.7 (#241) |
| AST | -0.7 (#81) | -0.4 (#67) |
| STL | -0.2 (#69) | +0.7 (#43) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#75) | -2.0 (#129) |
| 3PM | -1.3 (#107) | +0.6 (#45) |
| FG% | -1.9 (#117) | -3.7 (#191) |
| FT% | -0.8 (#86) | -0.0 (#60) |
| TO | -2.1 (#112) | -1.3 (#92) |
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).
- Ivica Zubac: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 35.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.1 on the board.
- Ivica Zubac: 32.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 32.0 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 Ivica Zubac playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or Ivica Zubac?
Points leagues: Ivica Zubac. 32.0 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 68th on our board to 94th. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (88th to 90th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Ivica Zubac?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ivica Zubac in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Aaron Gordon or Ivica Zubac?
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 95.9 projected fantasy points to 58.2 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number