Deandre Ayton or John Collins? Week 1
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Cs ranked 24th and 33rd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 25, 8:28 AM 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 1, 1 back-to-back
Week 1 pick in 9-cat leagues.
The Week 1 call
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start John Collins. John Collins has 1 game counted to 0 for Deandre Ayton, for 25.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0.
9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.0, because his category mix is worth more there.
Deandre Ayton has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 15.3 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 25.2 on the board.
John Collins played 27.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.2 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 1 (Oct 19-25), side by side
| This week | Deandre Ayton | John Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 0 | 1 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 0 |
| Games, Week 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 15.3 (last 3) | 27.4 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 25.2 | 27.2 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 10.2 | 14.4 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Projected 9-cat value | 0.0 | -1.0 |
Schedule: Deandre Ayton Wed MIL, Fri TOR, Sat @CHI. John Collins Tue BOS, Fri @MIA, Sun @PHI.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Deandre Ayton | John Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 0.0 | 13.7 |
| Rebounds | 0.0 | 5.4 |
| Assists | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Turnovers | 0.0 | 1.3 |
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: John Collins, 25.0 fantasy points per game to 25.0.
9-cat leagues: John Collins again, 86th overall against 102nd.
Deandre Ayton vs John Collins: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Deandre Ayton | John Collins |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 25.0 | 25.0 |
| Minutes | 25.2 | 27.2 |
| PointsPTS | 11.5 | 13.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 7.5 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| StealsSTL | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 1.4 |
| Field goal %FG% | 68.0% | 55.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 63.6% | 76.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 1.3 |
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 John Collins playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Deandre Ayton or John Collins in Week 1?
Points leagues, Week 1 (Oct 19-25): start John Collins. John Collins has 1 game counted to 0 for Deandre Ayton, for 25.0 projected fantasy points against 0.0. 9-cat leagues: Deandre Ayton instead, 0.0 category value for the week to -1.0, because his category mix is worth more there. Deandre Ayton has 1 back-to-back in Week 1, the nights rest days tend to land on. Deandre Ayton's minutes are down: 15.3 a game over his last 3 games of 2026-27, against 25.2 on the board. John Collins played 27.4 minutes a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, in line with his 27.2 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Deandre Ayton or John Collins?
Points leagues: John Collins, 25.0 fantasy points per game to 25.0. 9-cat leagues: John Collins again, 86th overall against 102nd.
Who wins more categories, Deandre Ayton or John Collins?
Deandre Ayton is ahead in 4 (rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage, turnovers); John Collins in 5 (points, assists, steals, threes, free throw percentage), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number