Ajay Mitchell vs Deni Avdija: who to start in Week 2
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 82.0 for Ajay Mitchell. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in both formats: 42.6 fantasy points a game to 27.3, and 67th against 69th 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 28, 8:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #108
- 27.3 FP/G, slot 9.12, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #69
- -0.4 z, slot 6.09, $13
Game-time decision (Ankle)
- Points leagues
- #17
- 42.6 FP/G, slot 2.05, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #67
- -0.3 z, slot 6.07, $14
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.6 fantasy points per game against 27.3, 17th on our board to 108th.
9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (67th to 69th).
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.5 fantasy points to 38.4, on 33.0 minutes a night against 25.6. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 82.0 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 | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.3 | 42.6 |
| Minutes | 25.6 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.1 | 23.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.3 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 6.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 2.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.1% | 46.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.3% | 77.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 3.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 66 |
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 | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.4 | 46.5 |
| Points | 19.8 | 26.1 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 7.2 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 4.0 |
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 | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | -0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | +0.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | -0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | -2.2 |
| Total | -0.4 | -0.3 |
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 points, rebounds, assists, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Ajay Mitchell.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#59) | -1.7 (#151) |
| REB | +0.6 (#41) | -1.2 (#101) |
| AST | -0.5 (#74) | -2.0 (#145) |
| STL | -1.5 (#122) | +0.1 (#53) |
| BLK | +0.2 (#51) | -0.2 (#63) |
| 3PM | +0.1 (#55) | -0.7 (#82) |
| FG% | -0.6 (#77) | -0.3 (#70) |
| FT% | -1.3 (#106) | +0.2 (#55) |
| TO | -1.0 (#84) | +1.9 (#34) |
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)
- Ajay Mitchell: 3 games (Mon PHX, Wed @DAL, Sat @HOU), 1 back-to-back, listed GTD.
- Deni Avdija: 3 games (Tue @LAL, Thu MEM, Sat @UTA).
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 27.3 on the board.
- Deni Avdija: 41.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 42.6 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 Deni Avdija playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Deni Avdija
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Deni Avdija?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.6 fantasy points per game against 27.3, 17th on our board to 108th. 9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.3 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (67th to 69th).
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Deni Avdija?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (STL, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, BLK and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Ajay Mitchell or Deni Avdija?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 82.0 for Ajay Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 8:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number