Mikal Bridges vs Reed Sheppard: who to start in Week 2
Mikal Bridges 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 80.6 for Mikal Bridges. Over the season, Reed Sheppard leads in both formats: 27.0 fantasy points a game to 26.9, and 62nd against 71st 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 Oct 26, 4:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #113
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.05, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.5 z, slot 6.11, $13
- 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 points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Reed Sheppard. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 111th on our board to 113th.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (62nd to 71st).
Category by category, Mikal Bridges is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Reed Sheppard produces more: 37.7 fantasy points to 29.9, on 25.8 minutes a night against 32.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Mikal Bridges 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 80.6 for Mikal Bridges.
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 | Mikal Bridges | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.9 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 32.4 | 25.8 |
| PointsPTS | 12.6 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.7 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.9% | 42.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 82.7% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 1.7 |
| 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 | Mikal Bridges | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 29.9 | 37.7 |
| Points | 14.0 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.1 | 4.2 |
| Assists | 3.8 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 1.8 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 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 | Mikal Bridges | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.3 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.1 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.5 | -1.0 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | +0.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +0.3 |
| Total | -0.5 | -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 steals and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Mikal Bridges.
| Punt | Mikal Bridges | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.1 (#58) | +0.2 (#52) |
| REB | +0.4 (#46) | +1.0 (#36) |
| AST | -0.5 (#75) | -0.4 (#69) |
| STL | -0.9 (#93) | -1.7 (#128) |
| BLK | -0.7 (#81) | -0.0 (#59) |
| 3PM | -0.6 (#80) | -1.5 (#116) |
| FG% | -0.0 (#62) | +1.0 (#41) |
| FT% | -0.7 (#80) | -0.3 (#68) |
| TO | -1.8 (#102) | -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)
- Mikal Bridges: 3 games (Tue DET, Wed @CHI, Fri @PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Reed Sheppard: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Mikal Bridges: 12.6 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 26.9 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 Mikal Bridges playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Mikal Bridges or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Reed Sheppard. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 111th on our board to 113th. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.5 (62nd to 71st).
Who wins more categories, Mikal Bridges or Reed Sheppard?
Category by category, Mikal Bridges is ahead in 5 (REB, BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 4 (PTS, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 2, Mikal Bridges or Reed Sheppard?
Mikal Bridges 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 80.6 for Mikal Bridges.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 4:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number