Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 15th and 19th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 10:29 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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The Week 2 call
Both have finished Week 1, so this is the call for Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1).
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start DeMar DeRozan. Both have 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.8.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -4.4 category value for the week to -4.8, because his category mix is worth more there.
Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.5 on the board.
DeMar DeRozan's minutes are down: 25.9 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 30.6 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Aaron Gordon rookie cardsDeMar DeRozan rookie cards
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Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Aaron Gordon | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Games counted (Week 2) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.1 (last 2) | 25.9 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 28.5 | 30.6 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 9.8 | 13.2 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 86.4 | 86.9 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -4.4 | -4.8 |
Schedule: Aaron Gordon Thu @OKC, Sat NOP. DeMar DeRozan Thu @OKC, Sat NOP.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 47.6 | 53.2 |
| Rebounds | 17.3 | 8.7 |
| Assists | 7.9 | 11.4 |
| Steals | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 5.2 | 1.6 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 4.4 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.8.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, 106th overall against 113th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Aaron Gordon vs DeMar DeRozan: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | DeMar DeRozan |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.8 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 28.5 | 30.6 |
| PointsPTS | 15.9 | 17.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.6 | 3.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.2% | 49.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.8% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.5 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Aaron Gordon playing tonight? · Is DeMar DeRozan playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan in Week 1?
Both have finished Week 1, so this is the call for Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1). Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start DeMar DeRozan. Both have 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.8. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -4.4 category value for the week to -4.8, because his category mix is worth more there. Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 33.1 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 28.5 on the board. DeMar DeRozan's minutes are down: 25.9 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 30.6 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan?
Points leagues: DeMar DeRozan, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.8. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, 106th overall against 113th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or DeMar DeRozan?
Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (rebounds, blocks, threes, turnovers); DeMar DeRozan in 5 (points, assists, steals, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 10:29 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number