DeMar DeRozan vs Payton Pritchard: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft DeMar DeRozan in points leagues (30.9 fantasy points a game to 30.7) and Payton Pritchard in 9-cat leagues (70th against 72nd). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #79
- 30.9 FP/G, slot 7.07, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #72
- -0.4 z, slot 6.12, $13
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #81
- 30.7 FP/G, slot 7.09, $12
- 9-cat leagues
- #70
- -0.4 z, slot 6.10, $13
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft DeMar DeRozan. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.7, 79th on our board to 81st.
9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.4 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (70th to 72nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Payton Pritchard in 3 (REB, AST and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, DeMar DeRozan produces more: 35.6 fantasy points to 34.2, on 31.2 minutes a night against 32.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start DeMar DeRozan: 61.7 projected fantasy points to 61.4 for Payton Pritchard.
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 30.9 | 30.7 |
| Minutes | 31.2 | 32.4 |
| PointsPTS | 18.4 | 17.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| AssistsAST | 4.1 | 5.2 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.6 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 46.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.8% | 89.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 79 |
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 | DeMar DeRozan | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 35.6 | 34.2 |
| Points | 21.2 | 18.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.4 | 4.4 |
| Assists | 4.7 | 5.7 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 0.7 | 3.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.4 | 1.5 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | DeMar DeRozan | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.3 | +0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.9 |
| AssistsAST | +0.2 | +0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | -0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.8 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.1 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.2 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +1.2 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | +0.6 |
| Total | -0.4 | -0.4 |
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 and threes flips the 9-cat answer to DeMar DeRozan.
| Punt | DeMar DeRozan | Payton Pritchard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.7 (#91) | -0.5 (#84) |
| REB | +0.8 (#40) | +0.6 (#49) |
| AST | -0.7 (#81) | -1.2 (#106) |
| STL | -0.6 (#76) | +0.3 (#50) |
| BLK | +0.3 (#58) | +0.8 (#42) |
| 3PM | +0.5 (#50) | -1.6 (#115) |
| FG% | -0.8 (#83) | +0.3 (#56) |
| FT% | -1.7 (#119) | -1.0 (#93) |
| TO | -1.3 (#90) | -1.0 (#80) |
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)
- DeMar DeRozan: 2 games (Thu @OKC, Sat NOP).
- Payton Pritchard: 2 games (Tue @DET, Fri NYK).
Recent games
- DeMar DeRozan: 29.4 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.9 on the board.
- Payton Pritchard: 30.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 30.7 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft DeMar DeRozan or Payton Pritchard in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft DeMar DeRozan. 30.9 fantasy points per game against 30.7, 79th on our board to 81st. 9-cat leagues: Payton Pritchard instead, -0.4 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (70th to 72nd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, DeMar DeRozan or Payton Pritchard?
Category by category, DeMar DeRozan is ahead in 6 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Payton Pritchard in 3 (REB, AST and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 1, DeMar DeRozan or Payton Pritchard?
DeMar DeRozan plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Payton Pritchard 2. For that week alone, start DeMar DeRozan: 61.7 projected fantasy points to 61.4 for Payton Pritchard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number