Ajay Mitchell vs Jusuf Nurkić: who to start in Week 1
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić. Over the season, Jusuf Nurkić leads in both formats: 33.5 fantasy points a game to 25.7, and 117th 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, 9:54 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
- #59
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 5.11, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #117
- -1.6 z, slot 10.09, $7
Out (Foot)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 59th on our board to 130th.
9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (117th to 118th).
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 36.1, on 26.4 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 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.7 | 33.5 |
| Minutes | 25.7 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.0 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 10.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.0 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.3% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.0% | 54.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 41 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.1 | 45.6 |
| Points | 18.2 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.8 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 6.5 |
| Steals | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 1.4 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 3.4 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | -2.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| 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 rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ajay Mitchell.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#112) | -0.7 (#93) |
| REB | -0.7 (#78) | -4.2 (#260) |
| AST | -1.8 (#140) | -2.2 (#162) |
| STL | -2.2 (#150) | -2.3 (#158) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#86) | -1.7 (#120) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#99) | -0.5 (#75) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#105) | -2.7 (#148) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#150) | +0.6 (#46) |
| TO | -2.3 (#119) | -0.9 (#77) |
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).
- Jusuf Nurkić: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL), listed Out.
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 18.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 25.7 on the board.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 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 Jusuf Nurkić playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Jusuf Nurkić
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Jusuf Nurkić?
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 25.7, 59th on our board to 130th. 9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić again, -1.6 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (117th to 118th).
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Jusuf Nurkić?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 5 (REB, AST, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ajay Mitchell or Jusuf Nurkić?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Ajay Mitchell: 77.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 9:54 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number