Deni Avdija or Donovan Mitchell? Week 3
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), PFs ranked 3rd and 4th at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 42.3
- 9-cat
- #12
- Last 7 FP
- 37.9
4 games in Week 3, 1 back-to-back
Week 3 pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The Week 3 call
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Donovan Mitchell. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 42.3 fantasy points to 42.2.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell again, 10.0 category value for the week to -3.2.
Deni Avdija has 1 back-to-back and Donovan Mitchell has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Deni Avdija played 33.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 32.9 on the board.
Donovan Mitchell played 32.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.4 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.
Deni Avdija rookie cardsDonovan Mitchell rookie cards
Week 3 (Nov 2-8), side by side
| This week | Deni Avdija | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 3 | 3 |
| Back-to-backs | 1 | 1 |
| Games, Week 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Minutes, last games | 33.6 (last 5) | 32.7 (last 5) |
| Minutes, board | 32.9 | 33.4 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 17.4 | 17.0 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 126.6 | 126.8 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -3.2 | 10.0 |
Schedule: Deni Avdija Mon @DEN, Wed @PHX, Fri @LAL, Sat SAS. Donovan Mitchell Mon OKC, Wed @OKC, Fri PHI, Sat NYK.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Deni Avdija | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 72.3 | 77.9 |
| Rebounds | 20.2 | 14.3 |
| Assists | 19.1 | 16.8 |
| Steals | 2.4 | 4.1 |
| Blocks | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 5.6 | 9.0 |
| Turnovers | 10.1 | 8.8 |
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 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Donovan Mitchell, 42.3 fantasy points per game to 42.2.
9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell again, 12th overall against 89th.
Deni Avdija vs Donovan Mitchell: the full comparison, per 36 and by punt build
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Deni Avdija | Donovan Mitchell |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 42.2 | 42.3 |
| Minutes | 32.9 | 33.4 |
| PointsPTS | 24.1 | 26.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.7 | 4.8 |
| AssistsAST | 6.4 | 5.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 3.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.9% | 47.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 76.2% | 85.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.4 | 2.9 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 3 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Deni Avdija playing tonight? · Is Donovan Mitchell playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Deni Avdija or Donovan Mitchell in Week 3?
Points leagues, Week 3 (Nov 2-8): start Donovan Mitchell. Both have 3 games left in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), so it comes down to per game: 42.3 fantasy points to 42.2. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell again, 10.0 category value for the week to -3.2. Deni Avdija has 1 back-to-back and Donovan Mitchell has 1 back-to-back in Week 3, the nights rest days tend to land on. Deni Avdija played 33.6 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 32.9 on the board. Donovan Mitchell played 32.7 minutes a game over his last 5 games of 2026-27, in line with his 33.4 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Deni Avdija or Donovan Mitchell?
Points leagues: Donovan Mitchell, 42.3 fantasy points per game to 42.2. 9-cat leagues: Donovan Mitchell again, 12th overall against 89th.
Who wins more categories, Deni Avdija or Donovan Mitchell?
Deni Avdija is ahead in 3 (rebounds, assists, blocks); Donovan Mitchell in 6 (points, steals, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number