Austin Reaves vs LeBron James: who to start in Week 2
Austin Reaves plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.7 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James. Over the season, LeBron James leads in points leagues (40.9 fantasy points a game to 39.4) and Austin Reaves in 9-cat leagues (12th against 47th). 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 28, 2:33 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #26
- 39.4 FP/G, slot 3.02, $26
- 9-cat leagues
- #12
- +3.8 z, slot 1.12, $37
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #24
- 40.9 FP/G, slot 2.12, $28
- 9-cat leagues
- #47
- +0.4 z, slot 4.11, $17
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: LeBron James. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 39.4, 24th on our board to 26th.
9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (12th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and LeBron James in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Per 36 minutes, LeBron James produces more: 44.3 fantasy points to 40.7, on 33.2 minutes a night against 34.9. 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), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.7 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James.
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 | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 39.4 | 40.9 |
| Minutes | 34.9 | 33.2 |
| PointsPTS | 24.0 | 20.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.3 | 6.2 |
| AssistsAST | 5.7 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.5 | 1.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 51.5% | 50.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 87.5% | 71.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 51 | 60 |
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 | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.7 | 44.3 |
| Points | 24.7 | 21.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.4 | 6.8 |
| Assists | 5.9 | 7.5 |
| Steals | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 1.2 |
| Turnovers | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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 | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +1.3 | +0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.6 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | +1.1 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.4 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.8 | -0.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.8 | +0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +2.0 | -1.4 |
| TurnoversTO | -1.4 | -1.4 |
| Total | +3.8 | +0.4 |
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 free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to LeBron James.
| Punt | Austin Reaves | LeBron James |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +2.3 (#17) | -0.4 (#74) |
| REB | +4.5 (#10) | -0.1 (#61) |
| AST | +2.5 (#20) | -1.5 (#124) |
| STL | +3.3 (#15) | -0.5 (#75) |
| BLK | +4.2 (#9) | +0.4 (#46) |
| 3PM | +2.6 (#21) | +0.8 (#39) |
| FG% | +3.2 (#20) | -0.6 (#77) |
| FT% | +1.6 (#32) | +1.7 (#31) |
| TO | +5.1 (#13) | +1.8 (#36) |
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.
- LeBron James: 3 games (Wed @IND, Fri NYK, Sat @CHA), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Austin Reaves: 37.3 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 39.4 on the board.
- LeBron James: 38.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 40.9 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 LeBron James playing tonight?
Rookie cards: LeBron James
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Austin Reaves or LeBron James?
Points leagues: LeBron James. 40.9 fantasy points per game against 39.4, 24th on our board to 26th. 9-cat leagues: Austin Reaves instead, +3.8 in summed z-scores against +0.4 (12th to 47th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Austin Reaves or LeBron James?
Category by category, Austin Reaves is ahead in 4 (PTS, 3PM, FG% and FT%) and LeBron James in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK).
Who should I start in Week 2, Austin Reaves or LeBron James?
Austin Reaves plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), LeBron James 3. For that week alone, start Austin Reaves: 157.7 projected fantasy points to 122.6 for LeBron James.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 2:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number