Ajay Mitchell vs Brandin Podziemski: who to start in Week 1
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Brandin Podziemski 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 77.2 for Ajay Mitchell. Over the season, Brandin Podziemski leads in both formats: 27.7 fantasy points a game to 25.7, and 116th against 118th 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 22, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #130
- 25.7 FP/G, slot 11.10, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #118
- -1.7 z, slot 10.10, $6
- Points leagues
- #108
- 27.7 FP/G, slot 9.12, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #116
- -1.6 z, slot 10.08, $7
Day to day (Back)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 108th on our board to 130th.
9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (116th to 118th).
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Brandin Podziemski in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Ajay Mitchell produces more: 36.1 fantasy points to 35.0, on 25.7 minutes a night against 28.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Brandin Podziemski 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 77.2 for Ajay Mitchell.
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 | Ajay Mitchell | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.7 | 27.7 |
| Minutes | 25.7 | 28.5 |
| PointsPTS | 13.0 | 13.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 5.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.3% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.0% | 79.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 82 |
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 | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 35.0 |
| Points | 18.2 | 17.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.8 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 4.7 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 2.0 |
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 | Ajay Mitchell | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | +0.3 |
| Total | -1.7 | -1.6 |
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 and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Ajay Mitchell.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Brandin Podziemski |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#112) | -1.2 (#118) |
| REB | -0.7 (#78) | -1.4 (#114) |
| AST | -1.8 (#140) | -1.7 (#132) |
| STL | -2.2 (#150) | -1.8 (#134) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#86) | -0.7 (#77) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#99) | -1.9 (#134) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#105) | -1.2 (#95) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#150) | -1.7 (#121) |
| TO | -2.3 (#119) | -2.0 (#110) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Ajay Mitchell: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Brandin Podziemski: 3 games (Wed @LAL, Fri MEM, Sat @PHX), 1 back-to-back, listed DTD.
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 18.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 25.7 on the board.
- Brandin Podziemski: 31.6 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ajay Mitchell playing tonight? · Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Brandin Podziemski
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Brandin Podziemski?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski. 27.7 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 108th on our board to 130th. 9-cat leagues: Brandin Podziemski again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (116th to 118th).
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Brandin Podziemski?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Brandin Podziemski in 3 (PTS, REB and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ajay Mitchell or Brandin Podziemski?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Brandin Podziemski 3. For that week alone, start Brandin Podziemski: 83.0 projected fantasy points to 77.2 for Ajay Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number