Ajay Mitchell vs Ausar Thompson: who to start in Week 3
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ausar Thompson 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.9 for Ausar Thompson. Over the season, Ausar Thompson leads in points leagues (28.6 fantasy points a game to 27.6) and Ajay Mitchell in 9-cat leagues (72nd 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #117
- 27.6 FP/G, slot 10.09, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.5 z, slot 6.12, $13
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #107
- 28.6 FP/G, slot 9.11, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #113
- -1.5 z, slot 10.05, $6
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Ausar Thompson. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 27.6, 107th on our board to 117th.
9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (72nd to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ausar Thompson in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Ausar Thompson produces more: 39.5 fantasy points to 38.7, on 26.1 minutes a night against 25.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ausar Thompson 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.9 for Ausar Thompson.
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 | Ajay Mitchell | Ausar Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.6 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 25.7 | 26.1 |
| PointsPTS | 14.4 | 9.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.3 | 6.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.4% | 52.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.9% | 57.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 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 | Ajay Mitchell | Ausar Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.7 | 39.5 |
| Points | 20.2 | 13.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 8.5 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Ajay Mitchell | Ausar Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.8 | +2.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | +0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | +0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | -1.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.2 |
| Total | -0.5 | -1.5 |
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
Punting threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ausar Thompson.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Ausar Thompson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#67) | -0.4 (#79) |
| REB | +0.5 (#45) | -2.0 (#135) |
| AST | -0.6 (#74) | -1.7 (#136) |
| STL | -1.4 (#112) | -3.6 (#227) |
| BLK | +0.0 (#63) | -2.1 (#140) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#53) | +0.2 (#49) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#86) | -2.8 (#153) |
| FT% | -1.3 (#108) | +0.3 (#48) |
| TO | -1.2 (#91) | -1.9 (#112) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Ajay Mitchell: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Ausar Thompson: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed PHI, Sun LAL).
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 31.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 27.6 on the board.
- Ausar Thompson: 28.3 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 28.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ajay Mitchell playing tonight? · Is Ausar Thompson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Ausar Thompson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Ausar Thompson?
Points leagues: Ausar Thompson. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 27.6, 107th on our board to 117th. 9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.5 (72nd to 113th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Ausar Thompson?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Ausar Thompson in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Ajay Mitchell or Ausar Thompson?
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ausar Thompson 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 110.6 projected fantasy points to 85.9 for Ausar Thompson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number