Brandon Ingram vs Reed Sheppard: who to start in Week 2
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 108.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram. Over the season, Brandon Ingram leads in points leagues (35.7 fantasy points a game to 27.0) and Reed Sheppard in 9-cat leagues (62nd against 64th). 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 26, 10:30 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #43
- 35.7 FP/G, slot 4.07, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #64
- -0.2 z, slot 6.04, $14
Out (Heel)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #111
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.03, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #62
- -0.2 z, slot 6.02, $14
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brandon Ingram. 35.7 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 43rd on our board to 111th.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (62nd to 64th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Reed Sheppard in 3 (STL, 3PM and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Brandon Ingram produces more: 38.0 fantasy points to 37.7, on 33.8 minutes a night against 25.8. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 108.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
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 | Brandon Ingram | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 35.7 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 33.8 | 25.8 |
| PointsPTS | 21.5 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.6 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.8 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.7% | 42.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.0% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 77 | 82 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| Points | 22.9 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.9 | 4.2 |
| Assists | 3.9 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 0.8 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.9 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 2.3 |
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 | Brandon Ingram | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | +0.9 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.0 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | -0.7 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.1 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.1 | +1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.7 | +0.3 |
| Total | -0.2 | -0.2 |
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 assists, steals, threes and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Brandon Ingram.
| Punt | Brandon Ingram | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#111) | +0.2 (#52) |
| REB | -0.2 (#61) | +1.0 (#36) |
| AST | -0.4 (#68) | -0.4 (#69) |
| STL | +0.4 (#47) | -1.7 (#128) |
| BLK | -0.4 (#71) | -0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | -0.5 (#78) | -1.5 (#116) |
| FG% | -0.1 (#67) | +1.0 (#41) |
| FT% | -0.7 (#81) | -0.3 (#68) |
| TO | +0.5 (#54) | -0.5 (#73) |
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)
- Brandon Ingram: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW), listed Out.
- Reed Sheppard: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Brandon Ingram: 33.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 35.7 on the board.
- Reed Sheppard: 27.1 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 27.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brandon Ingram playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brandon Ingram or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Brandon Ingram. 35.7 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 43rd on our board to 111th. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (62nd to 64th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandon Ingram or Reed Sheppard?
Category by category, Brandon Ingram is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, BLK, FG% and FT%) and Reed Sheppard in 3 (STL, 3PM and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brandon Ingram or Reed Sheppard?
Brandon Ingram plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 108.1 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Brandon Ingram.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number