Deandre Ayton vs Jusuf Nurkić: who to start in Week 2
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić. Over the season, Jusuf Nurkić leads in both formats: 33.5 fantasy points a game to 24.0, and 118th against 119th 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 27, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #143
- 24.0 FP/G, slot 12.11, $3
- 9-cat leagues
- #119
- -1.7 z, slot 10.11, $6
- Points leagues
- #56
- 33.5 FP/G, slot 5.08, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #118
- -1.7 z, slot 10.10, $6
Out (Foot)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 24.0, 56th on our board to 143rd.
9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić again, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (118th to 119th).
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Jusuf Nurkić produces more: 45.6 fantasy points to 35.3, on 26.4 minutes a night against 24.5. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.0 | 33.5 |
| Minutes | 24.5 | 26.4 |
| PointsPTS | 10.9 | 10.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.3 | 10.4 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.5% | 50.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 63.6% | 54.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 41 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.3 | 45.6 |
| Points | 16.1 | 14.9 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 14.1 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 6.5 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 3.4 |
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 | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.0 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | +2.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.4 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.4 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.8 | -1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.5 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -2.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | -0.7 |
| Total | -1.7 | -1.7 |
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, assists, steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Deandre Ayton.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Jusuf Nurkić |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#93) | -0.7 (#83) |
| REB | -2.7 (#171) | -4.2 (#251) |
| AST | -0.3 (#63) | -2.2 (#164) |
| STL | -0.4 (#68) | -2.2 (#151) |
| BLK | -2.4 (#150) | -1.6 (#119) |
| 3PM | -0.0 (#59) | -0.4 (#78) |
| FG% | -4.7 (#235) | -2.7 (#149) |
| FT% | -0.9 (#94) | +0.6 (#44) |
| TO | -2.9 (#138) | -1.0 (#82) |
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).
- Jusuf Nurkić: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 13.8 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 24.0 on the board.
- Jusuf Nurkić: 39.8 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 33.5 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 Jusuf Nurkić playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jusuf Nurkić
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Jusuf Nurkić?
Points leagues: Jusuf Nurkić. 33.5 fantasy points per game against 24.0, 56th on our board to 143rd. 9-cat leagues: Jusuf Nurkić again, -1.7 in summed z-scores against -1.7 (118th to 119th).
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Jusuf Nurkić?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Jusuf Nurkić in 4 (REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Deandre Ayton or Jusuf Nurkić?
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Jusuf Nurkić 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 72.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jusuf Nurkić.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number