Cooper Flagg vs Deni Avdija: who to start in Week 2
Cooper Flagg 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 126.1 for Cooper Flagg. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in points leagues (42.7 fantasy points a game to 42.0) and Cooper Flagg in 9-cat leagues (15th against 62nd). 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
- #18
- 42.0 FP/G, slot 2.06, $30
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.6 z, slot 2.03, $35
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- 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 leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.7 fantasy points per game against 42.0, 16th on our board to 18th.
9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (15th to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.6 fantasy points to 46.0, on 33.0 minutes a night against 32.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cooper Flagg 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 126.1 for Cooper Flagg.
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 | Cooper Flagg | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.0 | 42.7 |
| Minutes | 32.9 | 33.0 |
| PointsPTS | 21.7 | 24.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.4 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 4.8 | 6.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.6 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 48.3% | 46.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 79.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 70 | 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 | Cooper Flagg | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.0 | 46.6 |
| Points | 23.7 | 26.1 |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 7.7 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 7.1 |
| Steals | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.1 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 1.2 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.8 | 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 | Cooper Flagg | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | +1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | +0.6 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | +1.5 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.8 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -0.6 | +0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.0 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.8 | -0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.9 | -2.2 |
| Total | +3.6 | -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
No punt changes the answer: Cooper Flagg stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Cooper Flagg | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.5 (#13) | -1.4 (#138) |
| REB | +3.2 (#16) | -1.0 (#91) |
| AST | +2.8 (#18) | -1.6 (#130) |
| STL | +1.9 (#25) | +0.3 (#52) |
| BLK | +2.8 (#18) | +0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | +3.8 (#9) | -0.3 (#74) |
| FG% | +3.5 (#16) | +0.1 (#59) |
| FT% | +2.6 (#19) | -0.0 (#57) |
| TO | +4.4 (#15) | +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)
- Cooper Flagg: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
- Deni Avdija: 3 games (Tue @LAL, Thu MEM, Sat @UTA).
Recent games
- Cooper Flagg: 52.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 42.0 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 Cooper Flagg playing tonight? · Is Deni Avdija playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cooper Flagg, Deni Avdija
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cooper Flagg or Deni Avdija?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.7 fantasy points per game against 42.0, 16th on our board to 18th. 9-cat leagues: Cooper Flagg instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against -0.1 (15th to 62nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cooper Flagg or Deni Avdija?
Category by category, Cooper Flagg is ahead in 5 (STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Deni Avdija in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Cooper Flagg or Deni Avdija?
Cooper Flagg 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 126.1 for Cooper Flagg.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number