Deandre Ayton vs Jalen Slawson: who to start in Week 3
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jalen Slawson 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 60.3 for Jalen Slawson. Over the season, Deandre Ayton leads in points leagues (22.4 fantasy points a game to 20.1) and Jalen Slawson in 9-cat leagues (167th against 169th). 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, 2:36 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 leagues.
- Points leagues
- #213
- 20.1 FP/G, slot 18.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #167
- -2.9 z, slot 14.11
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 173rd on our board to 213th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Slawson instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (167th to 169th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO) and Jalen Slawson in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Deandre Ayton produces more: 34.2 fantasy points to 33.9, on 23.6 minutes a night against 21.4. 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), Jalen Slawson 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 60.3 for Jalen Slawson.
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 | Jalen Slawson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.4 | 20.1 |
| Minutes | 23.6 | 21.4 |
| PointsPTS | 10.2 | 6.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 4.1 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.0% | 44.7% |
| Free throw %FT% | 62.8% | 68.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 13 |
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 | Jalen Slawson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.2 | 33.9 |
| Points | 15.6 | 10.4 |
| Rebounds | 10.5 | 6.9 |
| Assists | 1.3 | 3.6 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 2.3 |
| Blocks | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 2.1 |
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 | Jalen Slawson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -1.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.7 |
| AssistsAST | -1.5 | -0.8 |
| StealsSTL | -1.7 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.2 | +0.7 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.1 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.8 | -0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.3 | +0.9 |
| Total | -2.9 | -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 assists, steals, blocks, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Deandre Ayton.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Jalen Slawson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#156) | -1.0 (#110) |
| REB | -3.6 (#228) | -2.3 (#152) |
| AST | -1.4 (#117) | -2.1 (#153) |
| STL | -1.3 (#107) | -3.6 (#231) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#185) | -3.7 (#207) |
| 3PM | -1.1 (#96) | -1.9 (#138) |
| FG% | -5.4 (#277) | -2.9 (#159) |
| FT% | -2.0 (#139) | -2.2 (#155) |
| TO | -4.4 (#187) | -3.9 (#170) |
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.
- Jalen Slawson: 3 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MEM, Sat DEN), 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.
- Jalen Slawson: 14.2 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 20.1 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight? · Is Jalen Slawson playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Jalen Slawson?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton. 22.4 fantasy points per game against 20.1, 173rd on our board to 213th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Slawson instead, -2.9 in summed z-scores against -2.9 (167th to 169th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Jalen Slawson?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, FG% and TO) and Jalen Slawson in 5 (AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Deandre Ayton or Jalen Slawson?
Deandre Ayton plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Jalen Slawson 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 89.6 projected fantasy points to 60.3 for Jalen Slawson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number