Deni Avdija vs James Harden: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Deni Avdija in points leagues (42.9 fantasy points a game to 42.4) and James Harden in 9-cat leagues (23rd against 67th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #17
- 42.9 FP/G, slot 2.05, $30
- 9-cat leagues
- #67
- -0.4 z, slot 6.07, $13
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #18
- 42.4 FP/G, slot 2.06, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #23
- +2.5 z, slot 2.11, $29
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: draft Deni Avdija. 42.9 fantasy points per game against 42.4, 17th on our board to 18th.
9-cat leagues: James Harden instead, +2.5 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (23rd to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and James Harden in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.3 fantasy points to 43.8, on 33.3 minutes a night against 34.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Deni Avdija plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), James Harden 2. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 85.7 projected fantasy points to 84.8 for James Harden.
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 | Deni Avdija | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.9 | 42.4 |
| Minutes | 33.3 | 34.8 |
| PointsPTS | 24.2 | 23.6 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 6.7 | 8.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 3.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.2% | 43.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.2% | 88.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 66 | 70 |
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 | Deni Avdija | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.3 | 43.8 |
| Points | 26.2 | 24.4 |
| Rebounds | 7.4 | 5.0 |
| Assists | 7.2 | 8.2 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Threes | 2.0 | 3.2 |
| Turnovers | 4.1 | 3.6 |
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 | Deni Avdija | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +1.2 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.5 | -0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | +2.1 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | +0.3 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | +1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -1.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +1.9 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.5 | -2.1 |
| Total | -0.4 | +2.5 |
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
No punt changes the answer: James Harden stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Deni Avdija | James Harden |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.8 (#145) | +1.2 (#32) |
| REB | -1.1 (#95) | +3.1 (#17) |
| AST | -2.0 (#146) | +0.3 (#53) |
| STL | +0.2 (#55) | +2.2 (#22) |
| BLK | -0.4 (#72) | +3.2 (#16) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#87) | +0.9 (#40) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#66) | +4.3 (#12) |
| FT% | -0.6 (#82) | +0.4 (#52) |
| TO | +2.1 (#35) | +4.7 (#14) |
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)
- Deni Avdija: 2 games (Wed PHX, Fri @SAC).
- James Harden: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Recent games
- Deni Avdija: 42.1 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 42.9 on the board.
- James Harden: 37.9 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 42.4 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Deni Avdija or James Harden in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Deni Avdija. 42.9 fantasy points per game against 42.4, 17th on our board to 18th. 9-cat leagues: James Harden instead, +2.5 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (23rd to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deni Avdija or James Harden?
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 4 (PTS, REB, BLK and FG%) and James Harden in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Deni Avdija or James Harden?
Deni Avdija plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), James Harden 2. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 85.7 projected fantasy points to 84.8 for James Harden.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number