Deni Avdija vs Yaxel Lendeborg: who to start in Week 3
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Yaxel Lendeborg 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 168.8 projected fantasy points to 109.4 for Yaxel Lendeborg. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in points leagues (42.2 fantasy points a game to 36.5) and Yaxel Lendeborg in 9-cat leagues (75th against 89th). 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 Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #20
- 42.2 FP/G, slot 2.08, $29
- 9-cat leagues
- #89
- -1.1 z, slot 8.05, $9
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #45
- 36.5 FP/G, slot 4.09, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #75
- -0.6 z, slot 7.03, $12
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.2 fantasy points per game against 36.5, 20th on our board to 45th.
9-cat leagues: Yaxel Lendeborg instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (75th to 89th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 2 (PTS and AST) and Yaxel Lendeborg in 5 (REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.1 fantasy points to 41.2, on 32.9 minutes a night against 31.9. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Yaxel Lendeborg 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 168.8 projected fantasy points to 109.4 for Yaxel Lendeborg.
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 | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.2 | 36.5 |
| Minutes | 32.9 | 31.9 |
| PointsPTS | 24.1 | 21.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 7.0 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 3.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.9% | 50.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.2% | 76.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 66 | 0 |
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 | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.1 | 41.2 |
| Points | 26.3 | 24.3 |
| Rebounds | 7.3 | 7.9 |
| Assists | 6.9 | 4.4 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Turnovers | 3.7 | 3.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Deni Avdija | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.4 | +0.5 |
| AssistsAST | +1.3 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | +0.2 | +0.8 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.3 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -1.1 | -0.6 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.8 | -1.8 |
| Total | -1.1 | -0.6 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Deni Avdija.
| Punt | Deni Avdija | Yaxel Lendeborg |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.5 (#193) | -1.5 (#138) |
| REB | -1.7 (#123) | -1.3 (#110) |
| AST | -2.5 (#180) | -0.8 (#86) |
| STL | -0.5 (#73) | -0.2 (#64) |
| BLK | -0.8 (#91) | -0.4 (#74) |
| 3PM | -1.3 (#105) | -1.5 (#117) |
| FG% | -1.4 (#104) | -1.3 (#103) |
| FT% | -0.1 (#58) | -0.1 (#61) |
| TO | +0.7 (#48) | +1.1 (#44) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Deni Avdija: 4 games (Mon @DEN, Wed @PHX, Fri @LAL, Sat SAS), 1 back-to-back.
- Yaxel Lendeborg: 3 games (Mon PHX, Thu MIA, Sat ORL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Deni Avdija: 40.5 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 42.2 on the board.
- Yaxel Lendeborg: 35.9 fantasy points a game over his last 8 of 2026-27, against 36.5 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deni Avdija playing tonight? · Is Yaxel Lendeborg playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Deni Avdija
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deni Avdija or Yaxel Lendeborg?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.2 fantasy points per game against 36.5, 20th on our board to 45th. 9-cat leagues: Yaxel Lendeborg instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -1.1 (75th to 89th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deni Avdija or Yaxel Lendeborg?
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 2 (PTS and AST) and Yaxel Lendeborg in 5 (REB, STL, 3PM, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Deni Avdija or Yaxel Lendeborg?
Deni Avdija plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Yaxel Lendeborg 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 168.8 projected fantasy points to 109.4 for Yaxel Lendeborg.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number