Ace Bailey vs Derrick Jones Jr.: who to start in Week 2
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 65.0 for Derrick Jones Jr.. Over the season, Ace Bailey leads in both formats: 26.1 fantasy points a game to 21.7, and 127th against 128th in 9-cat. 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 27, 2:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #125
- 26.1 FP/G, slot 11.05, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #127
- -2.0 z, slot 11.07, $4
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #173
- 21.7 FP/G, slot 15.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #128
- -2.0 z, slot 11.08, $4
The call
Points leagues: Ace Bailey. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 125th on our board to 173rd.
9-cat leagues: Ace Bailey again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (127th to 128th).
Category by category, Ace Bailey is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 3 (STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ace Bailey produces more: 34.1 fantasy points to 28.3, on 27.5 minutes a night against 27.6. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 65.0 for Derrick Jones Jr..
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 | Ace Bailey | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.1 | 21.7 |
| Minutes | 27.5 | 27.6 |
| PointsPTS | 13.6 | 10.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.1 | 3.8 |
| AssistsAST | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.7% | 51.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.0% | 73.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 50 |
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 | Ace Bailey | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.1 | 28.3 |
| Points | 17.8 | 13.5 |
| Rebounds | 6.7 | 4.9 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.9 | 1.0 |
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 | Ace Bailey | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | +0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +1.4 |
| Total | -2.0 | -2.0 |
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
Punting points, rebounds, assists, blocks, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Derrick Jones Jr..
| Punt | Ace Bailey | Derrick Jones Jr. |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.6 (#143) | -1.0 (#106) |
| REB | -1.9 (#127) | -1.3 (#107) |
| AST | -1.3 (#114) | -1.0 (#97) |
| STL | -1.1 (#102) | -1.8 (#137) |
| BLK | -2.6 (#159) | -2.5 (#154) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#154) | -1.7 (#124) |
| FG% | -1.5 (#108) | -2.6 (#146) |
| FT% | -1.9 (#133) | -1.6 (#120) |
| TO | -2.6 (#123) | -3.4 (#153) |
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)
- Ace Bailey: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back.
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW).
Recent games
- Ace Bailey: 31.7 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 26.1 on the board.
- Derrick Jones Jr.: 23.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 21.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ace Bailey playing tonight? · Is Derrick Jones Jr. playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ace Bailey
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ace Bailey or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Points leagues: Ace Bailey. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 21.7, 125th on our board to 173rd. 9-cat leagues: Ace Bailey again, -2.0 in summed z-scores against -2.0 (127th to 128th).
Who wins more categories, Ace Bailey or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Category by category, Ace Bailey is ahead in 6 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Derrick Jones Jr. in 3 (STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Ace Bailey or Derrick Jones Jr.?
Ace Bailey plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Derrick Jones Jr. 3. For that week alone, start Ace Bailey: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 65.0 for Derrick Jones Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 2:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number