Anthony Davis or Deni Avdija? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 3rd and 4th at the position, compared on 2025-26 per-game production.
- FP/G
- 44.0
- 9-cat
- #19
- Last 10 FP
- 44.7
Day to day (Rest)
3 games in Week 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis has 3 games counted to 2 for Deni Avdija, for 132.0 projected fantasy points against 85.7.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 9.1 category value for the week to -0.7.
Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Anthony Davis played 31.5 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.3 on the board.
Deni Avdija's minutes are up: 36.5 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.3 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 | Anthony Davis | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 31.5 (last 5) | 36.5 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 31.3 | 33.3 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.1 | 18.5 |
| Injury | Day to day (Rest) | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 132.0 | 85.7 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 9.1 | -0.7 |
Schedule: Anthony Davis Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. Deni Avdija Wed PHX, Fri @SAC.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 61.1 | 48.4 |
| Rebounds | 33.2 | 13.8 |
| Assists | 8.4 | 13.4 |
| Steals | 3.3 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 4.9 | 1.2 |
| Threes | 1.5 | 3.8 |
| Turnovers | 6.1 | 7.7 |
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: Anthony Davis, 44.0 fantasy points per game to 42.9.
9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 19th overall against 67th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Anthony Davis | Deni Avdija |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 44.0 | 42.9 |
| Minutes | 31.3 | 33.3 |
| PointsPTS | 20.4 | 24.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 11.1 | 6.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.8 | 6.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 50.6% | 46.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 72.8% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.0 | 3.8 |
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 Anthony Davis or Deni Avdija in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis has 3 games counted to 2 for Deni Avdija, for 132.0 projected fantasy points against 85.7. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 9.1 category value for the week to -0.7. Anthony Davis has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Anthony Davis played 31.5 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, in line with his 31.3 on the board. Deni Avdija's minutes are up: 36.5 a game over his last 5 games of 2025-26, against 33.3 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Anthony Davis or Deni Avdija?
Points leagues: Anthony Davis, 44.0 fantasy points per game to 42.9. 9-cat leagues: Anthony Davis again, 19th overall against 67th.
Who wins more categories, Anthony Davis or Deni Avdija?
Anthony Davis is ahead in 5 (rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); Deni Avdija in 4 (points, assists, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 8:41 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number