Austin Reaves vs Cooper Flagg: who to start in Week 2
Austin Reaves plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Cooper Flagg 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.3 projected fantasy points to 126.1 for Cooper Flagg. Over the season, Cooper Flagg leads in points leagues (42.0 fantasy points a game to 39.3) and Austin Reaves in 9-cat leagues (14th against 15th). The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 and 2026-27 box scores, not ADP.
Updated Oct 27, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #29
- 39.3 FP/G, slot 3.05, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #14
- +3.6 z, slot 2.02, $35
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #18
- 42.0 FP/G, slot 2.06, $30
- 9-cat leagues
- #15
- +3.6 z, slot 2.03, $35
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Cooper Flagg. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 39.3, 18th on our board to 29th.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against +3.6 (14th to 15th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and Cooper Flagg in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Cooper Flagg produces more: 46.0 fantasy points to 40.8, on 32.9 minutes a night against 34.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Austin Reaves plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Cooper Flagg 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.3 projected fantasy points to 126.1 for Cooper Flagg.
Slots are where our board's order lands in a 12-team snake draft (round.pick), and dollars are auction value over replacement for 12 teams with $200 each. Neither is ADP: no free draft-position feed lets us republish it.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Austin Reaves | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.3 | 42.0 |
| Minutes | 34.7 | 32.9 |
| PointsPTS | 23.8 | 21.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.3 | 6.4 |
| AssistsAST | 5.6 | 4.8 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Threes3PM | 2.4 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.0% | 48.3% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.6% | 84.3% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 51 | 70 |
Bold is the better number. The line blends 2025-26 with 2026-27 games as they are played, the same numbers the rankings use.
Per 36 minutes
| Per 36 | Austin Reaves | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.8 | 46.0 |
| Points | 24.7 | 23.7 |
| Rebounds | 4.5 | 7.0 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 5.3 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 3.3 | 2.8 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
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9-category z-scores
| Category | Austin Reaves | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | +0.4 |
| AssistsAST | +1.0 | +0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | +0.8 |
| Threes3PM | +0.7 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.7 | -0.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +2.0 | +0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.6 | -0.9 |
| Total | +3.6 | +3.6 |
Each number is standard deviations above or below the top 156 players (a 12-team league's rosters). Field goal and free throw percentage are weighted by attempts, and turnovers count against.
If you punt a category
Punting points, assists, threes, field goal percentage and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Cooper Flagg.
| Punt | Austin Reaves | Cooper Flagg |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.1 (#19) | +2.5 (#13) |
| REB | +4.3 (#11) | +3.2 (#16) |
| AST | +2.3 (#21) | +2.8 (#18) |
| STL | +2.9 (#15) | +1.9 (#25) |
| BLK | +4.0 (#11) | +2.8 (#18) |
| 3PM | +2.5 (#22) | +3.8 (#9) |
| FG% | +3.1 (#21) | +3.5 (#16) |
| FT% | +1.4 (#34) | +2.6 (#19) |
| TO | +5.1 (#13) | +4.4 (#15) |
Value is the sum of the other eight z-scores, recomputed with the punted category left out of the pool that sets them; the rank is among all 392 ranked players.
Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1)
- Austin Reaves: 4 games (Tue POR, Wed @LAC, Fri @GSW, Sun TOR), 1 back-to-back.
- Cooper Flagg: 3 games (Mon @MIA, Wed OKC, Fri HOU).
Recent games
- Austin Reaves: 42.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 39.3 on the board.
- Cooper Flagg: 52.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 42.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Austin Reaves playing tonight? · Is Cooper Flagg playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cooper Flagg
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Austin Reaves or Cooper Flagg?
Points leagues: Cooper Flagg. 42.0 fantasy points per game against 39.3, 18th on our board to 29th. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, +3.6 in summed z-scores against +3.6 (14th to 15th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Austin Reaves or Cooper Flagg?
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and Cooper Flagg in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Austin Reaves or Cooper Flagg?
Austin Reaves plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Cooper Flagg 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.3 projected fantasy points to 126.1 for Cooper Flagg.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number