Deandre Ayton vs Ja'Kobe Walter: who to start in Week 3
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ja'Kobe Walter 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 56.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter. Over the season, Deandre Ayton leads in both formats: 22.4 fantasy points a game to 18.9, and 169th against 179th 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 Nov 3, 4:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #173
- 22.4 FP/G, slot 15.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #169
- -2.9 z, slot 15.01
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #237
- 18.9 FP/G, slot 20.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #179
- -3.1 z, slot 15.11
The call
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 18.9, 173rd on our board to 237th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.1 (169th to 179th).
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and Ja'Kobe Walter in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Deandre Ayton produces more: 34.2 fantasy points to 29.1, on 23.6 minutes a night against 23.3. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ja'Kobe Walter 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 56.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter.
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 | Ja'Kobe Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.4 | 18.9 |
| Minutes | 23.6 | 23.3 |
| PointsPTS | 10.2 | 8.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 3.1 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.0% | 44.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 62.8% | 71.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 72 |
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 | Ja'Kobe Walter |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.2 | 29.1 |
| Points | 15.6 | 13.7 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 4.7 |
| Assists | 1.3 | 2.5 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 0.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Deandre Ayton | Ja'Kobe Walter |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.7 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | -0.8 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.1 | -0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +1.8 |
| Total | -2.9 | -3.1 |
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 rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Ja'Kobe Walter.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Ja'Kobe Walter |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#156) | -1.7 (#157) |
| REB | -3.6 (#228) | -2.0 (#137) |
| AST | -1.4 (#117) | -2.1 (#155) |
| STL | -1.3 (#107) | -3.5 (#220) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#185) | -2.5 (#150) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#96) | -3.2 (#196) |
| FG% | -5.4 (#277) | -2.9 (#161) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#139) | -2.6 (#173) |
| TO | -4.4 (#187) | -5.0 (#209) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Deandre Ayton: 4 games (Mon @ORL, Wed ATL, Fri @ATL, Sat @OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- Ja'Kobe Walter: 3 games (Mon @LAC, Wed @DEN, Fri @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 13.1 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 22.4 on the board.
- Ja'Kobe Walter: 26.1 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 18.9 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight? · Is Ja'Kobe Walter playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Ja'Kobe Walter?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 18.9, 173rd on our board to 237th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -3.1 (169th to 179th).
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Ja'Kobe Walter?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and Ja'Kobe Walter in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Deandre Ayton or Ja'Kobe Walter?
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Ja'Kobe Walter 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 56.6 for Ja'Kobe Walter.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number