Deandre Ayton vs Kyle Filipowski: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Deandre Ayton in both formats: 26.7 fantasy points a game to 26.6 in points leagues, and 91st against 135th in 9-cat. 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 points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #122
- 26.6 FP/G, slot 11.02, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #135
- -2.2 z, slot 12.03, $4
Day to day (Back)
The call
Points leagues: draft Deandre Ayton. 26.7 fantasy points per game against 26.6, 119th on our board to 122nd.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (91st to 135th).
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Kyle Filipowski in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Kyle Filipowski produces more: 41.0 fantasy points to 35.4, on 23.4 minutes a night against 27.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kyle Filipowski 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 80.2 projected fantasy points to 79.8 for Kyle Filipowski.
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 | Kyle Filipowski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.7 | 26.6 |
| Minutes | 27.2 | 23.4 |
| PointsPTS | 12.5 | 11.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.0 | 7.2 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 67.1% | 49.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 64.5% | 75.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 77 |
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 | Kyle Filipowski |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.4 | 41.0 |
| Points | 16.5 | 17.6 |
| Rebounds | 10.6 | 11.0 |
| Assists | 1.1 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 2.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Deandre Ayton | Kyle Filipowski |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.0 | +0.6 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -0.5 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.2 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.6 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -0.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.5 | +0.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.3 |
| Total | -1.1 | -2.2 |
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 field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Kyle Filipowski.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Kyle Filipowski |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#78) | -1.3 (#120) |
| REB | -2.3 (#146) | -3.0 (#193) |
| AST | +0.3 (#51) | -1.7 (#132) |
| STL | +0.1 (#62) | -2.0 (#143) |
| BLK | -1.9 (#125) | -2.1 (#136) |
| 3PM | +0.6 (#48) | -1.5 (#112) |
| FG% | -4.3 (#213) | -2.7 (#145) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#65) | -1.8 (#126) |
| TO | -2.2 (#116) | -2.6 (#127) |
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.
- Kyle Filipowski: 3 games (Wed @MEM, Fri NOP, Sun LAL), listed DTD.
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 26.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 26.7 on the board.
- Kyle Filipowski: 36.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 26.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Deandre Ayton or Kyle Filipowski in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Deandre Ayton. 26.7 fantasy points per game against 26.6, 119th on our board to 122nd. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.1 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (91st to 135th).
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Kyle Filipowski?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Kyle Filipowski in 4 (AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Deandre Ayton or Kyle Filipowski?
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Kyle Filipowski 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 80.2 projected fantasy points to 79.8 for Kyle Filipowski.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number