Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), PFs ranked 20th and 20th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 28.6
- 9-cat
- #61
- Last 10 FP
- 28.6
3 games in Week 1
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jaden McDaniels. Jaden McDaniels has 3 games counted to 2 for Aaron Gordon, for 85.7 projected fantasy points against 57.3.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, 0.1 category value for the week to -3.7.
Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 30.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 27.9 on the board.
Jaden McDaniels played 32.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.7 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 | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 30.7 (last 5) | 32.8 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 27.9 | 31.7 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 12.0 | 17.8 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 57.3 | 85.7 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -3.7 | 0.1 |
Schedule: Aaron Gordon Thu @OKC, Sat NOP. Jaden McDaniels Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 32.3 | 44.5 |
| Rebounds | 11.6 | 12.7 |
| Assists | 5.3 | 8.2 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 3.0 |
| Threes | 3.4 | 4.2 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 5.4 |
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 5 games of 2025-26. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon, 28.7 fantasy points per game to 28.6.
9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 61st overall against 122nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Aaron Gordon vs Jaden McDaniels: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Aaron Gordon | Jaden McDaniels |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.7 | 28.6 |
| Minutes | 27.9 | 31.7 |
| PointsPTS | 16.2 | 14.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.8 | 4.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 1.7 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 49.7% | 51.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.7% | 83.5% |
| 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 Jaden McDaniels in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Jaden McDaniels. Jaden McDaniels has 3 games counted to 2 for Aaron Gordon, for 85.7 projected fantasy points against 57.3. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels again, 0.1 category value for the week to -3.7. Aaron Gordon's minutes are up: 30.7 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 27.9 on the board. Jaden McDaniels played 32.8 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.7 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels?
Points leagues: Aaron Gordon, 28.7 fantasy points per game to 28.6. 9-cat leagues: Jaden McDaniels instead, 61st overall against 122nd, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Aaron Gordon or Jaden McDaniels?
Aaron Gordon is ahead in 4 (points, rebounds, threes, turnovers); Jaden McDaniels in 4 (steals, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number