Cade Cunningham vs Donovan Mitchell: who to start in Week 1
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Mitchell 2. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 141.9 projected fantasy points to 89.7 for Donovan Mitchell. Over the season, Cade Cunningham leads in points leagues (47.3 fantasy points a game to 44.8) and Donovan Mitchell in 9-cat leagues (7th against 17th). 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #8
- 47.3 FP/G, slot 1.08, $37
- 9-cat leagues
- #17
- +3.0 z, slot 2.05, $33
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #10
- 44.8 FP/G, slot 1.10, $34
- 9-cat leagues
- #7
- +4.6 z, slot 1.07, $42
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 47.3 fantasy points per game against 44.8, 8th on our board to 10th.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell instead, +4.6 in summed z-scores against +3.0 (7th to 17th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 3 (REB, AST and BLK) and Donovan Mitchell in 6 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cade Cunningham produces more: 50.4 fantasy points to 48.1, on 33.8 minutes a night against 33.6. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Mitchell 2. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 141.9 projected fantasy points to 89.7 for Donovan Mitchell.
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 | Cade Cunningham | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 33.6 |
| PointsPTS | 23.3 | 28.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 4.9 |
| AssistsAST | 9.7 | 5.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 3.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.4% | 48.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.2% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 64 | 70 |
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 | Cade Cunningham | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 50.4 | 48.1 |
| Points | 24.9 | 30.2 |
| Rebounds | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| Assists | 10.3 | 5.9 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| Turnovers | 4.2 | 3.2 |
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 | Cade Cunningham | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.2 | +2.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +3.1 | +1.0 |
| StealsSTL | +1.0 | +1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | -0.7 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | +1.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +1.1 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.6 | -1.4 |
| Total | +3.0 | +4.6 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Donovan Mitchell stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Cade Cunningham | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.7 (#24) | +2.4 (#10) |
| REB | +3.2 (#16) | +5.2 (#7) |
| AST | -0.2 (#59) | +3.5 (#10) |
| STL | +2.0 (#22) | +3.2 (#13) |
| BLK | +2.4 (#23) | +5.5 (#6) |
| 3PM | +2.6 (#18) | +2.8 (#16) |
| FG% | +3.6 (#17) | +4.8 (#8) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#18) | +3.3 (#14) |
| TO | +5.7 (#8) | +6.1 (#7) |
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)
- Cade Cunningham: 3 games (Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI).
- Donovan Mitchell: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Cade Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Cade Cunningham: 37.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 47.3 on the board.
- Donovan Mitchell: 52.5 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 44.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cade Cunningham playing tonight? · Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cade Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell?
Points leagues: Cade Cunningham. 47.3 fantasy points per game against 44.8, 8th on our board to 10th. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell instead, +4.6 in summed z-scores against +3.0 (7th to 17th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cade Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell?
Category by category, Cade Cunningham is ahead in 3 (REB, AST and BLK) and Donovan Mitchell in 6 (PTS, STL, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Cade Cunningham or Donovan Mitchell?
Cade Cunningham plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Donovan Mitchell 2. For that week alone, start Cade Cunningham: 141.9 projected fantasy points to 89.7 for Donovan Mitchell.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number