Ajay Mitchell vs Darius Garland: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Darius Garland in points leagues (32.2 fantasy points a game to 26.3) and Ajay Mitchell in 9-cat leagues (97th against 99th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #128
- 26.3 FP/G, slot 11.08, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #97
- -1.3 z, slot 9.01, $8
Game-time decision (Rest)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #70
- 32.2 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #99
- -1.3 z, slot 9.03, $8
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Darius Garland. 32.2 fantasy points per game against 26.3, 70th on our board to 128th.
9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (97th to 99th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Darius Garland in 3 (PTS, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Darius Garland produces more: 38.8 fantasy points to 36.6, on 29.9 minutes a night against 25.8. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Darius Garland 3. For that week alone, start Darius Garland: 96.5 projected fantasy points to 78.8 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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Ajay Mitchell | Darius Garland |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.3 | 32.2 |
| Minutes | 25.8 | 29.9 |
| PointsPTS | 13.6 | 18.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 6.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.5% | 46.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.0% | 86.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 2.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 45 |
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 | Darius Garland |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.6 | 38.8 |
| Points | 18.9 | 22.6 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 2.9 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 8.1 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 3.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 3.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Ajay Mitchell | Darius Garland |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | -1.6 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | -1.3 |
| 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, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Darius Garland.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Darius Garland |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#96) | -1.8 (#144) |
| REB | -0.2 (#65) | +0.3 (#55) |
| AST | -1.3 (#117) | -2.9 (#193) |
| STL | -2.0 (#138) | -1.2 (#106) |
| BLK | -0.6 (#76) | -0.2 (#67) |
| 3PM | -0.8 (#90) | -2.5 (#158) |
| FG% | -1.4 (#98) | -0.5 (#74) |
| FT% | -1.9 (#132) | -2.0 (#133) |
| TO | -1.9 (#107) | +0.0 (#60) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Ajay Mitchell: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC), listed GTD.
- Darius Garland: 3 games (Wed SAC, Fri @LAL, Sun @OKC).
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 21.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 26.3 on the board.
- Darius Garland: 31.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 32.2 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Ajay Mitchell or Darius Garland in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Darius Garland. 32.2 fantasy points per game against 26.3, 70th on our board to 128th. 9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (97th to 99th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Darius Garland?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 6 (REB, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Darius Garland in 3 (PTS, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ajay Mitchell or Darius Garland?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Darius Garland 3. For that week alone, start Darius Garland: 96.5 projected fantasy points to 78.8 for Ajay Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number