Bobby Portis Jr. vs Deandre Ayton: who to start in Week 1
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Bobby Portis Jr.. Over the season, Deandre Ayton leads in both formats: 25.0 fantasy points a game to 24.9, and 102nd against 122nd 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 25, 2:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #135
- 24.9 FP/G, slot 12.03, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #122
- -1.8 z, slot 11.02, $5
- Points leagues
- #134
- 25.0 FP/G, slot 12.02, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #102
- -1.4 z, slot 9.06, $8
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 25.0 fantasy points per game against 24.9, 134th on our board to 135th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (102nd to 122nd).
Category by category, Bobby Portis Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Deandre Ayton in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Bobby Portis Jr. produces more: 37.0 fantasy points to 35.7, on 24.2 minutes a night against 25.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Bobby Portis Jr..
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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.9 | 25.0 |
| Minutes | 24.2 | 25.2 |
| PointsPTS | 13.1 | 11.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.4 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.2% | 68.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.4% | 63.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 67 | 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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.0 | 35.7 |
| Points | 19.5 | 16.5 |
| Rebounds | 9.6 | 10.7 |
| Assists | 2.2 | 1.1 |
| Steals | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 1.3 |
| Threes | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 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 | Bobby Portis Jr. | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.3 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -1.1 | -1.4 |
| StealsSTL | -0.8 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | +0.5 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +2.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +1.1 |
| Total | -1.8 | -1.4 |
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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Bobby Portis Jr..
| Punt | Bobby Portis Jr. | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.3 (#123) | -0.6 (#85) |
| REB | -2.2 (#146) | -2.4 (#160) |
| AST | -0.8 (#90) | +0.0 (#53) |
| STL | -1.1 (#98) | -0.1 (#62) |
| BLK | -1.0 (#90) | -2.1 (#143) |
| 3PM | -2.3 (#153) | +0.3 (#51) |
| FG% | -1.9 (#118) | -4.5 (#229) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#122) | -0.5 (#78) |
| TO | -3.0 (#141) | -2.6 (#128) |
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)
- Bobby Portis Jr.: 3 games (Wed MIN, Fri DET, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
- Deandre Ayton: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
Bobby Portis Jr. or Deandre Ayton: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Bobby Portis Jr.: 23.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 24.9 on the board.
- Deandre Ayton: 16.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 25.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Bobby Portis Jr. playing tonight? · Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bobby Portis Jr. or Deandre Ayton?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 25.0 fantasy points per game against 24.9, 134th on our board to 135th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (102nd to 122nd).
Who wins more categories, Bobby Portis Jr. or Deandre Ayton?
Category by category, Bobby Portis Jr. is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Deandre Ayton in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Bobby Portis Jr. or Deandre Ayton?
Bobby Portis Jr. plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Deandre Ayton 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Bobby Portis Jr..
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number