Ajay Mitchell vs Payton Pritchard: who to start in Week 3
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 114.3 projected fantasy points to 111.1 for Ajay Mitchell. Over the season, Payton Pritchard leads in points leagues (28.6 fantasy points a game to 27.8) and Ajay Mitchell in 9-cat leagues (71st against 93rd). 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 Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #116
- 27.8 FP/G, slot 10.08, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.5 z, slot 6.11, $13
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #109
- 28.6 FP/G, slot 10.01, $8
- 9-cat leagues
- #93
- -1.1 z, slot 8.09, $9
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Payton Pritchard. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 27.8, 109th on our board to 116th.
9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (71st to 93rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Payton Pritchard in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Ajay Mitchell produces more: 38.2 fantasy points to 33.2, on 26.2 minutes a night against 31.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 114.3 projected fantasy points to 111.1 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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.8 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 26.2 | 31.0 |
| PointsPTS | 14.7 | 15.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 4.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.9 | 2.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 44.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 89.9% | 87.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 57 | 79 |
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 | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.2 | 33.2 |
| Points | 20.2 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 4.2 |
| Assists | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| Steals | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Ajay Mitchell | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.4 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +0.4 |
| StealsSTL | +0.6 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.6 | -1.0 |
| Threes3PM | -0.8 | +0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.9 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.7 | +0.7 |
| Total | -0.5 | -1.1 |
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 steals and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Payton Pritchard.
| Punt | Ajay Mitchell | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.2 (#63) | -1.0 (#114) |
| REB | +0.5 (#40) | -0.2 (#66) |
| AST | -0.5 (#71) | -1.7 (#137) |
| STL | -1.2 (#102) | -0.5 (#72) |
| BLK | -0.0 (#62) | -0.2 (#69) |
| 3PM | +0.2 (#51) | -2.0 (#147) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#80) | -0.4 (#70) |
| FT% | -1.4 (#113) | -1.8 (#129) |
| TO | -1.2 (#91) | -1.8 (#108) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Ajay Mitchell: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Payton Pritchard: 4 games (Mon @HOU, Wed MIL, Fri @CHA, Sun @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Ajay Mitchell or Payton Pritchard: the Week 3 start/sit call
Recent games
- Ajay Mitchell: 31.4 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 27.8 on the board.
- Payton Pritchard: 24.0 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 28.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ajay Mitchell playing tonight? · Is Payton Pritchard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ajay Mitchell, Payton Pritchard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ajay Mitchell or Payton Pritchard?
Points leagues: Payton Pritchard. 28.6 fantasy points per game against 27.8, 109th on our board to 116th. 9-cat leagues: Ajay Mitchell instead, -0.5 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (71st to 93rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ajay Mitchell or Payton Pritchard?
Category by category, Ajay Mitchell is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Payton Pritchard in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 3, Ajay Mitchell or Payton Pritchard?
Ajay Mitchell plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Payton Pritchard 4. For that week alone, start Payton Pritchard: 114.3 projected fantasy points to 111.1 for Ajay Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number