Ayo Dosunmu vs Paolo Banchero: who to start in Week 1
Ayo Dosunmu plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Paolo Banchero: 125.0 projected fantasy points to 78.6 for Ayo Dosunmu. Over the season, Paolo Banchero leads in both formats: 41.7 fantasy points a game to 26.2, and 90th against 91st 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, 8:57 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #124
- 26.2 FP/G, slot 11.04, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #91
- -1.1 z, slot 8.07, $9
- Points leagues
- #20
- 41.7 FP/G, slot 2.08, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #90
- -1.1 z, slot 8.06, $10
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.7 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 20th on our board to 124th.
9-cat leagues: Paolo Banchero again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (90th to 91st).
Category by category, Ayo Dosunmu is ahead in 5 (STL, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, Paolo Banchero produces more: 42.7 fantasy points to 34.5, on 35.1 minutes a night against 27.4. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Ayo Dosunmu plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Paolo Banchero: 125.0 projected fantasy points to 78.6 for Ayo Dosunmu.
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 | Ayo Dosunmu | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.2 | 41.7 |
| Minutes | 27.4 | 35.1 |
| PointsPTS | 14.9 | 23.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.5 | 8.3 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.3% | 47.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 88.7% | 77.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 3.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 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 | Ayo Dosunmu | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.5 | 42.7 |
| Points | 19.6 | 23.6 |
| Rebounds | 4.6 | 8.5 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 5.6 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 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 | Ayo Dosunmu | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.3 | +1.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.0 | +1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.0 | +0.9 |
| StealsSTL | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.9 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | -0.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.6 | -0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.6 | -1.8 |
| 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 points, rebounds, assists and blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Ayo Dosunmu.
| Punt | Ayo Dosunmu | Paolo Banchero |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.9 (#99) | -2.2 (#175) |
| REB | -0.0 (#56) | -2.6 (#173) |
| AST | -1.2 (#103) | -2.1 (#153) |
| STL | -0.5 (#77) | -0.3 (#70) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#65) | -1.0 (#87) |
| 3PM | -1.3 (#106) | -0.7 (#87) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#104) | -1.5 (#99) |
| FT% | -1.8 (#128) | -0.5 (#77) |
| TO | -1.8 (#105) | +0.7 (#51) |
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)
- Ayo Dosunmu: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR).
- Paolo Banchero: 3 games (Wed ATL, Fri MIN, Sun @NYK).
Recent games
- Ayo Dosunmu: 25.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.2 on the board.
- Paolo Banchero: 55.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 41.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Ayo Dosunmu playing tonight? · Is Paolo Banchero playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Paolo Banchero
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ayo Dosunmu or Paolo Banchero?
Points leagues: Paolo Banchero. 41.7 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 20th on our board to 124th. 9-cat leagues: Paolo Banchero again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (90th to 91st).
Who wins more categories, Ayo Dosunmu or Paolo Banchero?
Category by category, Ayo Dosunmu is ahead in 5 (STL, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO) and Paolo Banchero in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ayo Dosunmu or Paolo Banchero?
Ayo Dosunmu plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Paolo Banchero 3. For that week alone, start Paolo Banchero: 125.0 projected fantasy points to 78.6 for Ayo Dosunmu.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 8:57 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number