Ajay Mitchell vs Collin Gillespie: who to start in Week 1
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Collin Gillespie 2. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.5 projected fantasy points to 52.6 for Collin Gillespie. Over the season, Collin Gillespie leads in both formats: 26.3 fantasy points a game to 25.8, and 104th against 105th 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 23, 9:56 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #130
- 25.8 FP/G, slot 11.10, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #105
- -1.3 z, slot 9.09, $8
- Points leagues
- #122
- 26.3 FP/G, slot 11.02, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #104
- -1.3 z, slot 9.08, $8
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Collin Gillespie. 26.3 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 122nd on our board to 130th.
9-cat leagues: Collin Gillespie again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (104th to 105th).
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Collin Gillespie in 3 (REB, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Ajay Mitchell produces more: 36.4 fantasy points to 33.8, on 25.5 minutes a night against 28.1. 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), Collin Gillespie 2. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.5 projected fantasy points to 52.6 for Collin Gillespie.
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 | Collin Gillespie |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.8 | 26.3 |
| Minutes | 25.5 | 28.1 |
| PointsPTS | 12.9 | 11.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.2 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 39.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.6% | 82.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 80 |
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 | Collin Gillespie |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.4 | 33.8 |
| Points | 18.2 | 15.2 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 5.0 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 5.7 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.2 |
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 | Collin Gillespie |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | +1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -1.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | +0.2 |
| Total | -1.3 | -1.3 |
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 rebounds, assists, steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Ajay Mitchell.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Collin Gillespie |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#95) | -0.6 (#86) |
| REB | -0.2 (#62) | -0.5 (#73) |
| AST | -1.3 (#117) | -1.8 (#141) |
| STL | -2.4 (#160) | -2.5 (#164) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#79) | -0.4 (#68) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#88) | -2.5 (#158) |
| FG% | -1.2 (#95) | +0.3 (#55) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#135) | -1.5 (#115) |
| TO | -1.9 (#106) | -1.5 (#95) |
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).
- Collin Gillespie: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW).
Ajay Mitchell or Collin Gillespie: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 22.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board.
- Collin Gillespie: 12.2 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.3 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 Collin Gillespie playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Collin Gillespie
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Collin Gillespie?
Points leagues: Collin Gillespie. 26.3 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 122nd on our board to 130th. 9-cat leagues: Collin Gillespie again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (104th to 105th).
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Collin Gillespie?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Collin Gillespie in 3 (REB, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ajay Mitchell or Collin Gillespie?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Collin Gillespie 2. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.5 projected fantasy points to 52.6 for Collin Gillespie.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 9:56 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number