Donte DiVincenzo vs Reed Sheppard: who to start in Week 1
Donte DiVincenzo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Donte DiVincenzo. Over the season, Donte DiVincenzo leads in points leagues (26.4 fantasy points a game to 26.2) and Reed Sheppard in 9-cat leagues (75th against 86th). 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 22, 1:54 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #120
- 26.4 FP/G, slot 10.12, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #86
- -0.9 z, slot 8.02, $10
Out (Achilles)
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #123
- 26.2 FP/G, slot 11.03, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #75
- -0.6 z, slot 7.03, $12
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Donte DiVincenzo. 26.4 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 120th on our board to 123rd.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (75th to 86th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Donte DiVincenzo is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, 3PM and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 5 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Reed Sheppard produces more: 37.0 fantasy points to 31.3, on 25.5 minutes a night against 30.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Donte DiVincenzo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Donte DiVincenzo.
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 | Donte DiVincenzo | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.4 | 26.2 |
| Minutes | 30.4 | 25.5 |
| PointsPTS | 12.2 | 12.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.1 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.6% | 42.1% |
| Free throw %FT% | 74.3% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 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 | Donte DiVincenzo | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 31.3 | 37.0 |
| Points | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| Rebounds | 4.9 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| Threes | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 2.2 |
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 | Donte DiVincenzo | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.8 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.1 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.7 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -0.1 |
| Threes3PM | +1.4 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.4 | -1.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | +0.3 |
| Total | -0.9 | -0.6 |
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 steals and blocks flips the 9-cat answer to Donte DiVincenzo.
| Punt | Donte DiVincenzo | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.3 (#72) | -0.1 (#61) |
| REB | -0.2 (#62) | +0.7 (#41) |
| AST | -1.1 (#102) | -0.6 (#80) |
| STL | -1.7 (#128) | -2.1 (#148) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#72) | -0.5 (#73) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#154) | -1.8 (#124) |
| FG% | +0.5 (#50) | +0.7 (#45) |
| FT% | -0.8 (#86) | -0.7 (#84) |
| TO | -1.5 (#95) | -1.0 (#82) |
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 391 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Donte DiVincenzo: 3 games (Wed @MIA, Fri @ORL, Sun TOR), listed Out.
- Reed Sheppard: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Donte DiVincenzo or Reed Sheppard: the Week 1 start/sit call
Recent games
- Donte DiVincenzo: 20.7 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 26.4 on the board.
- Reed Sheppard: 14.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.2 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Donte DiVincenzo playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Donte DiVincenzo or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Donte DiVincenzo. 26.4 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 120th on our board to 123rd. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (75th to 86th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Donte DiVincenzo or Reed Sheppard?
Category by category, Donte DiVincenzo is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, 3PM and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 5 (PTS, STL, BLK, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Donte DiVincenzo or Reed Sheppard?
Donte DiVincenzo plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 78.7 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Donte DiVincenzo.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 22, 2026 at 1:54 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number