Daniel Gafford or Deandre Ayton? Week 2
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Cs ranked 32nd and 34th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 26, 6:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 25.0
- 9-cat
- #102
- Last 3 FP
- 16.2
3 games in Week 2
Week 2 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 2 call
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Deandre Ayton. Both have 2 games left in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 25.0 fantasy points to 24.3.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.6 category value for the week to -3.0.
Daniel Gafford played 19.8 minutes a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, in line with his 21.4 on the board.
Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 15.3 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 25.2 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.
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Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), side by side
| This week | Daniel Gafford | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 2 | 2 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 0 |
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 19.8 (last 3) | 15.3 (last 3) |
| Minutes, board | 21.4 | 25.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 8.5 | 10.2 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 48.7 | 50.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -3.0 | -2.6 |
Schedule: Daniel Gafford Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU. Deandre Ayton Mon @CHA, Wed @CLE, Fri CHA.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Daniel Gafford | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 17.9 | 23.1 |
| Rebounds | 13.1 | 15.0 |
| Assists | 2.6 | 1.5 |
| Steals | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Blocks | 2.8 | 1.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.4 | 2.0 |
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 3 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton, 25.0 fantasy points per game to 24.3.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, 102nd overall against 112th.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Daniel Gafford | Deandre Ayton |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 24.3 | 25.0 |
| Minutes | 21.4 | 25.2 |
| PointsPTS | 8.9 | 11.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.6 | 7.5 |
| AssistsAST | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.3% | 68.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 66.8% | 63.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.0 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 2 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Daniel Gafford playing tonight? · Is Deandre Ayton playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Daniel Gafford or Deandre Ayton in Week 2?
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Deandre Ayton. Both have 2 games left in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 25.0 fantasy points to 24.3. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -2.6 category value for the week to -3.0. Daniel Gafford played 19.8 minutes a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, in line with his 21.4 on the board. Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 15.3 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 25.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Daniel Gafford or Deandre Ayton?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton, 25.0 fantasy points per game to 24.3. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, 102nd overall against 112th.
Who wins more categories, Daniel Gafford or Deandre Ayton?
Daniel Gafford is ahead in 3 (assists, steals, blocks); Deandre Ayton in 5 (points, rebounds, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number