Brandon Ingram vs Deni Avdija: who to start in Week 2
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 128.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in both formats: 42.7 fantasy points a game to 35.7, and 62nd against 63rd 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 28, 12:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #43
- 35.7 FP/G, slot 4.07, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #63
- -0.2 z, slot 6.03, $14
Out (Heel)
- Points leagues
- #16
- 42.7 FP/G, slot 2.04, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #62
- -0.1 z, slot 6.02, $15
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.7 fantasy points per game against 35.7, 16th on our board to 43rd.
9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (62nd to 63rd).
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.6 fantasy points to 38.0, on 33.0 minutes a night against 33.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 128.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
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 | Brandon Ingram | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.7 | 42.7 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 21.5 | 24.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 6.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.0% | 79.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 3.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 66 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.0 | 46.6 |
| Points | 22.9 | 26.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 7.7 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 4.0 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.1 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | -2.2 |
| Total | -0.2 | -0.1 |
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 steals flips the 9-cat answer to Brandon Ingram.
| Punt | Brandon Ingram | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#113) | -1.4 (#138) |
| REB | -0.2 (#66) | -1.0 (#91) |
| AST | -0.4 (#66) | -1.6 (#130) |
| STL | +0.5 (#46) | +0.3 (#52) |
| BLK | -0.4 (#73) | +0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#79) | -0.3 (#74) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#64) | +0.1 (#59) |
| FT% | -0.7 (#80) | -0.0 (#57) |
| TO | +0.5 (#54) | +2.2 (#31) |
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)
- Brandon Ingram: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW), listed Out.
- Deni Avdija: 3 games (Tue @LAL, Thu MEM, Sat @UTA).
Recent games
- Brandon Ingram: 33.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 35.7 on the board.
- Deni Avdija: 41.7 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 42.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandon Ingram playing tonight? · Is Deni Avdija playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Deni Avdija
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandon Ingram or Deni Avdija?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.7 fantasy points per game against 35.7, 16th on our board to 43rd. 9-cat leagues: Deni Avdija again, -0.1 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (62nd to 63rd).
Who wins more categories, Brandon Ingram or Deni Avdija?
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brandon Ingram or Deni Avdija?
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Deni Avdija 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 128.2 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 12:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number