Aaron Gordon or Dillon Brooks? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 18th and 20th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Dillon Brooks. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.7.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -3.7 category value for the week to -5.2, because his category mix is worth more there.
Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 30.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 27.9 on the board.
Dillon Brooks played 29.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 30.4 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.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Aaron Gordon | Dillon Brooks |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.7 (last 5) | 29.9 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 27.9 | 30.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 12.0 | 18.1 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 57.3 | 58.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -3.7 | -5.2 |
Schedule: Aaron Gordon Thu @OKC, Sat NOP. Dillon Brooks Wed @POR, Sat GSW.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | Dillon Brooks |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 32.3 | 40.4 |
| Rebounds | 11.6 | 7.3 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 3.5 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 2.0 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 3.4 | 4.5 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 3.5 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Dillon Brooks, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.7.
9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, 122nd overall against 155th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | Dillon Brooks |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.7 | 29.0 |
| Minutes | 27.9 | 30.4 |
| PointsPTS | 16.2 | 20.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 3.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 1.8 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 2.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 43.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 84.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.8 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
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Other close calls
Week 1 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Common questions
Should I start Aaron Gordon or Dillon Brooks in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Dillon Brooks. Both have 2 games left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 29.0 fantasy points to 28.7. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, -3.7 category value for the week to -5.2, because his category mix is worth more there. Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 30.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 27.9 on the board. Dillon Brooks played 29.9 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 30.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Aaron Gordon or Dillon Brooks?
Points leagues: Dillon Brooks, 29.0 fantasy points per game to 28.7. 9-cat leagues: Aaron Gordon instead, 122nd overall against 155th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Dillon Brooks?
Aaron Gordon is ahead in 5 (rebounds, assists, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Dillon Brooks in 4 (points, steals, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 7:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number