Aaron Gordon vs Jaden McDaniels: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Aaron Gordon in points leagues (28.7 fantasy points a game to 28.6) and Jaden McDaniels in 9-cat leagues (61st against 122nd). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #103
- 28.7 FP/G, slot 9.07, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #122
- -1.9 z, slot 11.02, $5
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #105
- 28.6 FP/G, slot 9.09, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #61
- +0.0 z, slot 6.01, $15
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Aaron Gordon. 28.7 fantasy points per game against 28.6, 103rd on our board to 105th.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (61st to 122nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and TO) and Jaden McDaniels in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Gordon produces more: 37.0 fantasy points to 32.4, on 27.9 minutes a night against 31.7. 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), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 85.7 projected fantasy points to 57.3 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 | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.7 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 27.9 | 31.7 |
| PointsPTS | 16.2 | 14.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 4.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 51.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 83.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 73 |
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 | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.0 | 32.4 |
| Points | 20.8 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 4.8 |
| Assists | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.0 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Aaron Gordon | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.1 | -0.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | +0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.0 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.9 | +0.0 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Jaden McDaniels stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.8 (#148) | +0.3 (#55) |
| REB | -2.1 (#138) | +0.7 (#45) |
| AST | -1.4 (#125) | +0.4 (#46) |
| STL | -0.8 (#85) | -0.3 (#71) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#92) | -0.7 (#80) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#135) | +0.2 (#60) |
| FG% | -2.5 (#135) | -0.6 (#76) |
| FT% | -1.5 (#114) | -0.3 (#71) |
| TO | -3.0 (#140) | -0.2 (#64) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Aaron Gordon: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Jaden McDaniels: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 27.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 28.7 on the board.
- Jaden McDaniels: 28.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 28.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Aaron Gordon. 28.7 fantasy points per game against 28.6, 103rd on our board to 105th. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, +0.0 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (61st to 122nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, 3PM and TO) and Jaden McDaniels in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels?
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaden McDaniels 3. For that week alone, start Jaden McDaniels: 85.7 projected fantasy points to 57.3 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number