Cedric Coward vs Stephon Castle: who to start in Week 2
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 105.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward. Over the season, Stephon Castle leads in points leagues (35.2 fantasy points a game to 26.4) and Cedric Coward in 9-cat leagues (125th against 126th). 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
- #120
- 26.4 FP/G, slot 10.12, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #125
- -1.9 z, slot 11.05, $5
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #47
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 4.11, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #126
- -1.9 z, slot 11.06, $4
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 26.4, 47th on our board to 120th.
9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (125th to 126th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 3 (PTS, AST and STL).
Per 36 minutes, Stephon Castle produces more: 42.3 fantasy points to 36.2, on 30.0 minutes a night against 26.3. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 105.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward.
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 | Cedric Coward | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.4 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 26.3 | 30.0 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 17.1 |
| ReboundsREB | 6.2 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 2.7 | 6.9 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 47.6% | 46.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 84.3% | 72.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 62 | 68 |
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 | Cedric Coward | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.2 | 42.3 |
| Points | 18.2 | 20.5 |
| Rebounds | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 3.7 | 8.3 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 2.1 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 3.7 |
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 | Cedric Coward | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | +0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | +0.3 | -0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.5 | +1.7 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -1.4 |
| Total | -1.9 | -1.9 |
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 rebounds, blocks, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Stephon Castle.
| Punt | Cedric Coward | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.4 (#131) | -2.1 (#172) |
| REB | -2.2 (#148) | -2.1 (#141) |
| AST | -1.4 (#121) | -3.7 (#225) |
| STL | -0.9 (#91) | -2.3 (#156) |
| BLK | -1.6 (#117) | -1.2 (#96) |
| 3PM | -1.9 (#131) | -1.9 (#133) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#116) | -1.9 (#117) |
| FT% | -2.3 (#151) | -0.9 (#94) |
| TO | -2.3 (#115) | -0.4 (#72) |
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)
- Cedric Coward: 3 games (Mon @UTA, Thu @POR, Sat SAC), 1 back-to-back.
- Stephon Castle: 3 games (Tue SAC, Wed @UTA, Sat MIN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Cedric Coward: 26.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 26.4 on the board.
- Stephon Castle: 35.2 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 35.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Cedric Coward playing tonight? · Is Stephon Castle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Cedric Coward, Stephon Castle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Cedric Coward or Stephon Castle?
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 26.4, 47th on our board to 120th. 9-cat leagues: Cedric Coward instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -1.9 (125th to 126th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Cedric Coward or Stephon Castle?
Category by category, Cedric Coward is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 3 (PTS, AST and STL).
Who should I start in Week 2, Cedric Coward or Stephon Castle?
Cedric Coward plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Stephon Castle 3. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 105.6 projected fantasy points to 79.1 for Cedric Coward.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number