Brook Lopez vs Paul Reed: who to start in Week 2
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paul Reed 3. For that week alone, start Paul Reed: 65.5 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez. Over the season, Paul Reed leads in points leagues (21.8 fantasy points a game to 21.1) and Brook Lopez in 9-cat leagues (144th against 143rd). 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
- #185
- 21.1 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #144
- -2.2 z, slot 12.12, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #171
- 21.8 FP/G, slot 15.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #143
- -2.2 z, slot 12.11, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Paul Reed. 21.8 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 171st on our board to 185th.
9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (144th to 143rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Paul Reed in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Paul Reed produces more: 49.8 fantasy points to 34.5, on 15.8 minutes a night against 22.1. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paul Reed 3. For that week alone, start Paul Reed: 65.5 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
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 | Brook Lopez | Paul Reed |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.1 | 21.8 |
| Minutes | 22.1 | 15.8 |
| PointsPTS | 10.0 | 9.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.9 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 62.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.4% | 66.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 65 |
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 | Brook Lopez | Paul Reed |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.5 | 49.8 |
| Points | 16.4 | 20.6 |
| Rebounds | 6.4 | 12.2 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 3.4 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.9 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Threes | 2.6 | 0.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.5 | 2.4 |
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 | Brook Lopez | Paul Reed |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -1.3 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.3 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.2 | +0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -1.4 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | +1.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | -0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.2 | -2.2 |
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 points, blocks, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Paul Reed.
| Punt | Brook Lopez | Paul Reed |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.2 (#117) | -1.0 (#104) |
| REB | -1.6 (#117) | -2.3 (#158) |
| AST | -1.1 (#98) | -1.2 (#107) |
| STL | -1.1 (#102) | -1.8 (#140) |
| BLK | -3.6 (#199) | -2.9 (#168) |
| 3PM | -2.2 (#148) | -0.8 (#87) |
| FG% | -2.3 (#133) | -4.2 (#218) |
| FT% | -2.2 (#147) | -1.5 (#118) |
| TO | -3.6 (#160) | -3.4 (#151) |
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)
- Brook Lopez: 3 games (Wed LAL, Fri @MIN, Sun @GSW).
- Paul Reed: 3 games (Tue @NYK, Wed CHA, Fri @BKN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Brook Lopez: 30.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 21.1 on the board.
- Paul Reed: 31.2 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 21.8 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brook Lopez playing tonight? · Is Paul Reed playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brook Lopez or Paul Reed?
Points leagues: Paul Reed. 21.8 fantasy points per game against 21.1, 171st on our board to 185th. 9-cat leagues: Brook Lopez instead, -2.2 in summed z-scores against -2.2 (144th to 143rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brook Lopez or Paul Reed?
Category by category, Brook Lopez is ahead in 5 (PTS, BLK, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Paul Reed in 4 (REB, AST, STL and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brook Lopez or Paul Reed?
Brook Lopez plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Paul Reed 3. For that week alone, start Paul Reed: 65.5 projected fantasy points to 63.4 for Brook Lopez.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 28, 2026 at 2:33 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number