Deandre Ayton vs Ivica Zubac: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Ivica Zubac in points leagues (31.9 fantasy points a game to 26.7) and Deandre Ayton in 9-cat leagues (91st against 94th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #119
- 26.7 FP/G, slot 10.11, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #91
- -1.1 z, slot 8.07, $10
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #72
- 31.9 FP/G, slot 6.12, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #94
- -1.1 z, slot 8.10, $9
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Ivica Zubac. 31.9 fantasy points per game against 26.7, 72nd on our board to 119th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (91st to 94th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Ivica Zubac in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Ivica Zubac produces more: 38.2 fantasy points to 35.4, on 30.1 minutes a night against 27.2. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 95.8 projected fantasy points to 80.2 for Deandre Ayton.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Deandre Ayton | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.7 | 31.9 |
| Minutes | 27.2 | 30.1 |
| PointsPTS | 12.5 | 14.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 10.6 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 2.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.1% | 59.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 64.5% | 71.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 48 |
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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.4 | 38.2 |
| Points | 16.5 | 16.9 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 12.7 |
| Assists | 1.1 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 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 | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | +2.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -1.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | +0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.5 | +1.8 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.1 |
| Total | -1.1 | -1.1 |
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 steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ivica Zubac.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Ivica Zubac |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#78) | -0.7 (#92) |
| REB | -2.3 (#146) | -3.6 (#227) |
| AST | +0.3 (#51) | -0.4 (#70) |
| STL | +0.1 (#62) | +0.6 (#43) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#125) | -1.7 (#120) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#48) | +0.5 (#49) |
| FG% | -4.3 (#213) | -3.6 (#185) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#65) | -0.3 (#70) |
| TO | -2.2 (#116) | -1.5 (#97) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Deandre Ayton: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Ivica Zubac: 3 games (Wed @NOP, Fri DAL, Sun @BKN).
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 26.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 26.7 on the board.
- Ivica Zubac: 26.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 31.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Deandre Ayton or Ivica Zubac in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Ivica Zubac. 31.9 fantasy points per game against 26.7, 72nd on our board to 119th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (91st to 94th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Ivica Zubac?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO) and Ivica Zubac in 4 (PTS, REB, AST and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Deandre Ayton or Ivica Zubac?
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ivica Zubac 3. For that week alone, start Ivica Zubac: 95.8 projected fantasy points to 80.2 for Deandre Ayton.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number