Deandre Ayton vs Dylan Harper: who to start in Week 2
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Harper 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Dylan Harper. Over the season, Deandre Ayton leads in both formats: 25.0 fantasy points a game to 24.9, and 102nd against 169th 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 26, 6:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #134
- 25.0 FP/G, slot 12.02, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #102
- -1.3 z, slot 9.06, $8
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #136
- 24.9 FP/G, slot 12.04, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #169
- -2.9 z, slot 15.01
The call
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 25.0 fantasy points per game against 24.9, 134th on our board to 136th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (102nd to 169th).
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Dylan Harper in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Dylan Harper produces more: 37.0 fantasy points to 35.7, on 24.1 minutes a night against 25.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Harper 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Dylan Harper.
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 | Deandre Ayton | Dylan Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.0 | 24.9 |
| Minutes | 25.2 | 24.1 |
| PointsPTS | 11.5 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 3.7 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 68.0% | 49.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 63.6% | 79.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 69 |
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 | Deandre Ayton | Dylan Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.7 | 37.0 |
| Points | 16.5 | 19.6 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 5.5 |
| Assists | 1.1 | 5.5 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 2.1 |
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 | Deandre Ayton | Dylan Harper |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | +0.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.6 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +0.6 |
| Total | -1.3 | -2.9 |
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 and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Dylan Harper.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Dylan Harper |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.5 (#82) | -2.4 (#186) |
| REB | -2.4 (#158) | -2.1 (#144) |
| AST | +0.1 (#50) | -3.0 (#194) |
| STL | -0.0 (#61) | -2.3 (#155) |
| BLK | -2.1 (#138) | -2.2 (#146) |
| 3PM | +0.4 (#47) | -2.3 (#155) |
| FG% | -4.4 (#226) | -3.4 (#178) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#71) | -2.9 (#174) |
| TO | -2.5 (#124) | -3.5 (#161) |
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)
- Deandre Ayton: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed @CLE, Fri CHA).
- Dylan Harper: 3 games (Tue SAC, Wed @UTA, Sat MIN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 16.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 25.0 on the board.
- Dylan Harper: 31.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 24.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight? · Is Dylan Harper playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Dylan Harper
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Dylan Harper?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 25.0 fantasy points per game against 24.9, 134th on our board to 136th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.3 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (102nd to 169th).
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Dylan Harper?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Dylan Harper in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Deandre Ayton or Dylan Harper?
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Dylan Harper 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 74.6 for Dylan Harper.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number