Ausar Thompson vs Paolo Banchero: who to start in Week 2
Ausar Thompson plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Ausar Thompson: 84.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero. Over the season, Paolo Banchero leads in points leagues (41.0 fantasy points a game to 28.3) and Ausar Thompson in 9-cat leagues (91st 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 Oct 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #99
- 28.3 FP/G, slot 9.03, $9
- 9-cat leagues
- #91
- -1.1 z, slot 8.07, $9
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #21
- 41.0 FP/G, slot 2.09, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #93
- -1.1 z, slot 8.09, $9
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.0 fantasy points per game against 28.3, 21st on our board to 99th.
9-cat leagues: Ausar Thompson instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (91st to 93rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ausar Thompson is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Paolo Banchero produces more: 42.5 fantasy points to 39.1, on 34.7 minutes a night against 26.0. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ausar Thompson plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Ausar Thompson: 84.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero.
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 | Ausar Thompson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.3 | 41.0 |
| Minutes | 26.0 | 34.7 |
| PointsPTS | 9.6 | 22.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.9 | 8.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.9% | 48.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 60.1% | 76.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 3.2 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 72 |
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 | Ausar Thompson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 39.1 | 42.5 |
| Points | 13.3 | 23.3 |
| Rebounds | 8.1 | 8.5 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 5.7 |
| Steals | 2.6 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 0.1 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 3.3 |
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 | Ausar Thompson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | +1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.1 | +1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | +2.3 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.5 | -0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.6 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | -1.6 |
| Total | -1.1 | -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, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Paolo Banchero.
| Punt | Ausar Thompson | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#57) | -2.2 (#176) |
| REB | -1.5 (#113) | -2.6 (#168) |
| AST | -0.9 (#90) | -2.1 (#152) |
| STL | -3.3 (#196) | -0.3 (#67) |
| BLK | -1.7 (#122) | -0.9 (#91) |
| 3PM | +0.7 (#40) | -0.6 (#82) |
| FG% | -2.2 (#127) | -1.6 (#111) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#46) | -0.3 (#69) |
| TO | -1.4 (#94) | +0.6 (#49) |
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)
- Ausar Thompson: 3 games (Tue @NYK, Wed CHA, Fri @BKN), 1 back-to-back.
- Paolo Banchero: 3 games (Wed @TOR, Fri @TOR, Sun BOS), listed Out.
Recent games
- Ausar Thompson: 24.9 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 28.3 on the board.
- Paolo Banchero: 42.5 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 41.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ausar Thompson playing tonight? · Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ausar Thompson, Paolo Banchero
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ausar Thompson or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.0 fantasy points per game against 28.3, 21st on our board to 99th. 9-cat leagues: Ausar Thompson instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (91st to 93rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ausar Thompson or Paolo Banchero?
Category by category, Ausar Thompson is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Ausar Thompson or Paolo Banchero?
Ausar Thompson plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Ausar Thompson: 84.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Paolo Banchero.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number