Anthony Davis vs Dyson Daniels: who to start in Week 1
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Dyson Daniels 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 129.6 projected fantasy points to 107.0 for Dyson Daniels. Over the season, Anthony Davis leads in points leagues (43.2 fantasy points a game to 35.7) and Dyson Daniels in 9-cat leagues (27th against 28th). 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 25, 2:29 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #15
- 43.2 FP/G, slot 2.03, $32
- 9-cat leagues
- #28
- +2.1 z, slot 3.04, $27
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #44
- 35.7 FP/G, slot 4.08, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #27
- +2.3 z, slot 3.03, $29
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 35.7, 15th on our board to 44th.
9-cat leagues: Dyson Daniels instead, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.1 (27th to 28th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Dyson Daniels in 4 (AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Anthony Davis produces more: 49.4 fantasy points to 39.6, on 31.5 minutes a night against 32.5. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Dyson Daniels 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 129.6 projected fantasy points to 107.0 for Dyson Daniels.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Anthony Davis | Dyson Daniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 43.2 | 35.7 |
| Minutes | 31.5 | 32.5 |
| PointsPTS | 20.4 | 12.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 10.7 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 2.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.5 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.0% | 53.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.1% | 59.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 20 | 76 |
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 | Anthony Davis | Dyson Daniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 49.4 | 39.6 |
| Points | 23.3 | 14.0 |
| Rebounds | 12.2 | 7.6 |
| Assists | 3.2 | 6.1 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 2.6 |
| Blocks | 1.8 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 1.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Anthony Davis | Dyson Daniels |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.7 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +2.2 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | -0.4 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +3.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.8 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | -1.2 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.1 | +0.9 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.0 | -1.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.5 | +0.3 |
| Total | +2.1 | +2.3 |
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 assists, steals, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Anthony Davis.
| Punt | Anthony Davis | Dyson Daniels |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.3 (#30) | +2.8 (#8) |
| REB | -0.4 (#70) | +1.6 (#28) |
| AST | +2.4 (#20) | +1.2 (#34) |
| STL | +1.7 (#27) | -1.4 (#115) |
| BLK | +0.0 (#58) | +2.7 (#20) |
| 3PM | +3.2 (#13) | +3.6 (#11) |
| FG% | +1.3 (#37) | +0.8 (#46) |
| FT% | +3.0 (#14) | +3.6 (#11) |
| TO | +2.5 (#32) | +1.9 (#37) |
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)
- Anthony Davis: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Dyson Daniels: 3 games (Wed @ORL, Fri @CHA, Sat HOU), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Anthony Davis: 39.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 43.2 on the board.
- Dyson Daniels: 42.7 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 35.7 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? · Is Dyson Daniels playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Anthony Davis or Dyson Daniels?
Points leagues: Anthony Davis. 43.2 fantasy points per game against 35.7, 15th on our board to 44th. 9-cat leagues: Dyson Daniels instead, +2.3 in summed z-scores against +2.1 (27th to 28th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Dyson Daniels?
Category by category, Anthony Davis is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, 3PM and FT%) and Dyson Daniels in 4 (AST, STL, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Anthony Davis or Dyson Daniels?
Anthony Davis plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Dyson Daniels 3. For that week alone, start Anthony Davis: 129.6 projected fantasy points to 107.0 for Dyson Daniels.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number