Aaron Gordon vs Jaime Jaquez Jr.: who to start in Week 1
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaime Jaquez Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 58.2 for Aaron Gordon. Over the season, Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads in points leagues (29.4 fantasy points a game to 29.1) and Aaron Gordon in 9-cat leagues (95th against 154th). 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 23, 3:53 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #94
- 29.1 FP/G, slot 8.10, $10
- 9-cat leagues
- #95
- -1.1 z, slot 8.11, $9
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #92
- 29.4 FP/G, slot 8.08, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #154
- -2.5 z, slot 13.10, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jaime Jaquez Jr.. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 92nd on our board to 94th.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (95th to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in 3 (AST, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Aaron Gordon produces more: 37.4 fantasy points to 37.2, on 28.0 minutes a night against 28.4. 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), Jaime Jaquez Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.2 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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 29.1 | 29.4 |
| Minutes | 28.0 | 28.4 |
| PointsPTS | 16.4 | 15.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.6% | 51.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.2% | 77.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 2.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 36 | 75 |
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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.4 | 37.2 |
| Points | 21.1 | 20.0 |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 5.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.6 |
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 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.0 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.0 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | +0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.4 | +0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | -0.2 |
| Total | -1.1 | -2.5 |
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: Aaron Gordon stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Aaron Gordon | Jaime Jaquez Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#119) | -2.5 (#189) |
| REB | -1.4 (#112) | -2.4 (#156) |
| AST | -0.7 (#83) | -3.1 (#204) |
| STL | -0.3 (#71) | -1.5 (#119) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#76) | -1.8 (#123) |
| 3PM | -1.4 (#107) | -1.8 (#128) |
| FG% | -1.9 (#114) | -3.6 (#187) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#90) | -2.4 (#154) |
| TO | -2.2 (#118) | -2.5 (#122) |
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).
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Aaron Gordon: 35.7 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.1 on the board.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 31.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 29.4 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 Jaime Jaquez Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Aaron Gordon
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Aaron Gordon or Jaime Jaquez Jr.?
Points leagues: Jaime Jaquez Jr.. 29.4 fantasy points per game against 29.1, 92nd on our board to 94th. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (95th to 154th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Jaime Jaquez Jr.?
Category by category, Aaron Gordon is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. in 3 (AST, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Aaron Gordon or Jaime Jaquez Jr.?
Aaron Gordon plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jaime Jaquez Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 88.2 projected fantasy points to 58.2 for Aaron Gordon.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 3:53 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number