Deandre Ayton or Jakob Poeltl? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 31st and 33rd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 25.6
- 9-cat
- #98
- Last 2 FP
- 16.8
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 Deandre Ayton. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 25.6 fantasy points to 25.0.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.2 category value for the week to -1.5.
Deandre Ayton has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 14.8 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board.
Jakob Poeltl played 24.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 24.9 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 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Deandre Ayton | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 1 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 14.8 (last 2) | 24.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 25.8 | 24.9 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 9.8 | 3.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 25.6 | 25.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -1.2 | -1.5 |
Schedule: Deandre Ayton Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. Jakob Poeltl Wed CHI, Fri @WAS, Sun @MIN.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Deandre Ayton | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 11.9 | 10.0 |
| Rebounds | 7.6 | 7.1 |
| Assists | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Steals | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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: Deandre Ayton, 25.6 fantasy points per game to 25.0.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, 98th overall against 113th.
Deandre Ayton vs Jakob Poeltl: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Deandre Ayton | Jakob Poeltl |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.6 | 25.0 |
| Minutes | 25.8 | 24.9 |
| PointsPTS | 11.9 | 10.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.6 | 7.1 |
| AssistsAST | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 68.3% | 70.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 63.6% | 60.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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 Deandre Ayton playing tonight? · Is Jakob Poeltl playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Deandre Ayton or Jakob Poeltl in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start Deandre Ayton. Both have 1 game left in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), so it comes down to per game: 25.6 fantasy points to 25.0. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, -1.2 category value for the week to -1.5. Deandre Ayton has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 14.8 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board. Jakob Poeltl played 24.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 24.9 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Deandre Ayton or Jakob Poeltl?
Points leagues: Deandre Ayton, 25.6 fantasy points per game to 25.0. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton again, 98th overall against 113th.
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or Jakob Poeltl?
Deandre Ayton is ahead in 6 (points, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers); Jakob Poeltl in 2 (assists, steals), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number