Jalen Williams vs Reed Sheppard: who to start in Week 3
Jalen Williams plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 76.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams. Over the season, Jalen Williams leads in both formats: 32.5 fantasy points a game to 25.6, and 80th against 81st in 9-cat. 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 Nov 3, 2:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #70
- 32.5 FP/G, slot 6.10, $14
- 9-cat leagues
- #80
- -0.8 z, slot 7.08, $11
Out (Ankle)
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #138
- 25.6 FP/G, slot 12.06, $4
- 9-cat leagues
- #81
- -0.9 z, slot 7.09, $10
The call
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 25.6, 70th on our board to 138th.
9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (80th to 81st).
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, FG% and FT%) and Reed Sheppard in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jalen Williams produces more: 40.5 fantasy points to 36.7, on 28.9 minutes a night against 25.1. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Jalen Williams plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 76.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams.
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.
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Jalen Williams | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 32.5 | 25.6 |
| Minutes | 28.9 | 25.1 |
| PointsPTS | 16.5 | 12.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.6 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 5.1 | 3.5 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.7 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.8% | 42.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.2% | 83.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 33 | 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 | Jalen Williams | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.5 | 36.7 |
| Points | 20.5 | 18.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.7 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 6.4 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.2 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Jalen Williams | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.0 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.5 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.7 | -0.1 |
| StealsSTL | +0.4 | +1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.7 | -0.4 |
| Threes3PM | -1.0 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.2 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.4 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.2 | +0.6 |
| Total | -0.8 | -0.9 |
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 points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Reed Sheppard.
| Punt | Jalen Williams | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.8 (#99) | -0.3 (#75) |
| REB | -0.4 (#76) | +0.4 (#46) |
| AST | -1.6 (#130) | -1.0 (#94) |
| STL | -1.3 (#106) | -2.0 (#151) |
| BLK | -0.3 (#71) | -0.6 (#80) |
| 3PM | +0.0 (#55) | -2.0 (#143) |
| FG% | -0.7 (#84) | +0.2 (#54) |
| FT% | -1.2 (#103) | -1.1 (#98) |
| TO | -1.1 (#87) | -1.5 (#99) |
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 438 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Jalen Williams: 4 games (Mon @CLE, Wed CLE, Fri @MEM, Sat WAS), 1 back-to-back, listed Out.
- Reed Sheppard: 3 games (Mon BOS, Wed MIN, Sat @PHX).
Recent games
- Jalen Williams: 27.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 32.5 on the board.
- Reed Sheppard: 21.5 fantasy points a game over his last 5 of 2026-27, against 25.6 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jalen Williams playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Jalen Williams, Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jalen Williams or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Jalen Williams. 32.5 fantasy points per game against 25.6, 70th on our board to 138th. 9-cat leagues: Jalen Williams again, -0.8 in summed z-scores against -0.9 (80th to 81st).
Who wins more categories, Jalen Williams or Reed Sheppard?
Category by category, Jalen Williams is ahead in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, FG% and FT%) and Reed Sheppard in 4 (STL, BLK, 3PM and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Jalen Williams or Reed Sheppard?
Jalen Williams plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Reed Sheppard 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 76.9 projected fantasy points to 0.0 for Jalen Williams.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number