Deni Avdija vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 2
Deni Avdija plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson. Over the season, Deni Avdija leads in points leagues (42.6 fantasy points a game to 35.2) and Zion Williamson in 9-cat leagues (65th against 67th). 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 28, 6:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #17
- 42.6 FP/G, slot 2.05, $31
- 9-cat leagues
- #67
- -0.3 z, slot 6.07, $14
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #44
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 4.08, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #65
- -0.2 z, slot 6.05, $14
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.6 fantasy points per game against 35.2, 17th on our board to 44th.
9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (65th to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Deni Avdija produces more: 46.5 fantasy points to 41.9, on 33.0 minutes a night against 30.2. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Deni Avdija plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson.
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 | Deni Avdija | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.6 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 33.0 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 23.9 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.9 | 5.2 |
| AssistsAST | 6.6 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.7% | 59.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 73.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.6 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 66 | 62 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 46.5 | 41.9 |
| Points | 26.1 | 25.0 |
| Rebounds | 7.5 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 7.2 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 4.0 | 2.5 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.6 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +1.5 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.3 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | +2.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | -1.5 |
| TurnoversTO | -2.2 | -0.3 |
| Total | -0.3 | -0.2 |
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 steals, blocks, field goal percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Deni Avdija.
| Punt | Deni Avdija | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#151) | -1.1 (#112) |
| REB | -1.2 (#101) | -0.4 (#73) |
| AST | -2.0 (#145) | -0.1 (#56) |
| STL | +0.1 (#53) | -0.9 (#88) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#63) | -0.2 (#65) |
| 3PM | -0.7 (#82) | +1.3 (#33) |
| FG% | -0.3 (#70) | -3.5 (#181) |
| FT% | +0.2 (#55) | +1.1 (#36) |
| TO | +1.9 (#34) | +0.1 (#62) |
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 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Deni Avdija: 3 games (Tue @LAL, Thu MEM, Sat @UTA).
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed DEN, Thu SAC, Sat ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Deni Avdija: 41.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 42.6 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 35.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Deni Avdija playing tonight? · Is Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Deni Avdija, Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Deni Avdija or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Deni Avdija. 42.6 fantasy points per game against 35.2, 17th on our board to 44th. 9-cat leagues: Zion Williamson instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.3 (65th to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Deni Avdija or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Deni Avdija is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, 3PM and FT%) and Zion Williamson in 4 (STL, BLK, FG% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Deni Avdija or Zion Williamson?
Deni Avdija plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Deni Avdija: 127.9 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 6:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number