Ajay Mitchell vs Kel'el Ware: who to start in Week 1
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 77.5 for Ajay Mitchell. Over the season, Kel'el Ware leads in both formats: 26.1 fantasy points a game to 25.8, and 78th against 101st 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #128
- 25.8 FP/G, slot 11.08, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #101
- -1.3 z, slot 9.05, $8
- Points leagues
- #126
- 26.1 FP/G, slot 11.06, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #78
- -0.8 z, slot 7.06, $11
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Kel'el Ware. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 126th on our board to 128th.
9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (78th to 101st).
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Kel'el Ware in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kel'el Ware produces more: 44.3 fantasy points to 36.4, on 21.2 minutes a night against 25.5. 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), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 77.5 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 | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.8 | 26.1 |
| Minutes | 25.5 | 21.2 |
| PointsPTS | 12.9 | 10.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.2 | 8.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.5 | 0.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.2% | 53.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.6% | 62.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 77 |
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 | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.4 | 44.3 |
| Points | 18.2 | 18.3 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 14.2 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 1.2 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 1.5 |
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 | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.1 | +1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | -1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | +0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.7 | -0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | +1.2 |
| Total | -1.3 | -0.8 |
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, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ajay Mitchell.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Kel'el Ware |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#92) | +0.1 (#58) |
| REB | -0.2 (#61) | -2.2 (#142) |
| AST | -1.3 (#116) | +0.6 (#43) |
| STL | -2.4 (#156) | -0.1 (#61) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#81) | -1.7 (#114) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#83) | -0.3 (#67) |
| FG% | -1.2 (#92) | -1.9 (#119) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#141) | -0.0 (#61) |
| TO | -1.8 (#106) | -2.1 (#115) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Ajay Mitchell: 3 games (Tue @SAS, Thu DEN, Sun LAC).
- Kel'el Ware: 3 games (Wed @WAS, Fri CHI, Sat @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 22.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board.
- Kel'el Ware: 13.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 26.1 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 Kel'el Ware playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Kel'el Ware
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Kel'el Ware?
Points leagues: Kel'el Ware. 26.1 fantasy points per game against 25.8, 126th on our board to 128th. 9-cat leagues: Kel'el Ware again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -1.3 (78th to 101st).
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Kel'el Ware?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and FT%) and Kel'el Ware in 5 (REB, BLK, 3PM, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ajay Mitchell or Kel'el Ware?
Ajay Mitchell plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kel'el Ware 3. For that week alone, start Kel'el Ware: 78.3 projected fantasy points to 77.5 for Ajay Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number