Deandre Ayton vs Maxime Raynaud: who to start in Week 1
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Maxime Raynaud 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud. Over the season, Maxime Raynaud leads in points leagues (25.4 fantasy points a game to 25.0) and Deandre Ayton in 9-cat leagues (102nd against 138th). 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 25, 2:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #134
- 25.0 FP/G, slot 12.02, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #102
- -1.4 z, slot 9.06, $8
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #129
- 25.4 FP/G, slot 11.09, $5
- 9-cat leagues
- #138
- -2.1 z, slot 12.06, $3
Out (Knee)
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Maxime Raynaud. 25.4 fantasy points per game against 25.0, 129th on our board to 134th.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (102nd to 138th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 3 (BLK, FG% and TO) and Maxime Raynaud in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Deandre Ayton produces more: 35.7 fantasy points to 34.4, on 25.2 minutes a night against 26.5. 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), Maxime Raynaud 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud.
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 | Maxime Raynaud |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.0 | 25.4 |
| Minutes | 25.2 | 26.5 |
| PointsPTS | 11.5 | 12.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 1.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 68.0% | 57.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 63.6% | 78.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 72 | 74 |
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 | Maxime Raynaud |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.7 | 34.4 |
| Points | 16.5 | 16.9 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 10.2 |
| Assists | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 1.7 |
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 | Maxime Raynaud |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.8 | +0.8 |
| AssistsAST | -1.4 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.4 | -1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +2.5 | +1.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | -0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +0.7 |
| Total | -1.4 | -2.1 |
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 blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Maxime Raynaud.
| Punt | Deandre Ayton | Maxime Raynaud |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.6 (#85) | -1.4 (#132) |
| REB | -2.4 (#160) | -3.1 (#196) |
| AST | +0.0 (#53) | -1.0 (#100) |
| STL | -0.1 (#62) | -0.8 (#84) |
| BLK | -2.1 (#143) | -2.1 (#138) |
| 3PM | +0.3 (#51) | -0.8 (#84) |
| FG% | -4.5 (#229) | -3.8 (#200) |
| FT% | -0.5 (#78) | -2.0 (#141) |
| TO | -2.6 (#128) | -3.0 (#142) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Deandre Ayton: 3 games (Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Maxime Raynaud: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM), listed Out.
Recent games
- Deandre Ayton: 16.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 25.0 on the board.
- Maxime Raynaud: 31.3 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 25.4 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 Maxime Raynaud playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Maxime Raynaud
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deandre Ayton or Maxime Raynaud?
Points leagues: Maxime Raynaud. 25.4 fantasy points per game against 25.0, 129th on our board to 134th. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, -1.4 in summed z-scores against -2.1 (102nd to 138th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Maxime Raynaud?
Category by category, Deandre Ayton is ahead in 3 (BLK, FG% and TO) and Maxime Raynaud in 4 (PTS, AST, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Deandre Ayton or Maxime Raynaud?
Deandre Ayton plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Maxime Raynaud 3. For that week alone, start Deandre Ayton: 74.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Maxime Raynaud.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 2:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number