Moussa Diabaté vs Reed Sheppard: who to start in Week 2
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4, an even 107.4 projected fantasy points each. Over the season, Reed Sheppard leads in both formats: 26.9 fantasy points a game to 26.9, and 66th 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 27, 6:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #115
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.07, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.4 z, slot 6.11, $13
- Points leagues
- #114
- 26.9 FP/G, slot 10.06, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #66
- -0.2 z, slot 6.06, $14
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Reed Sheppard. 26.9 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 114th on our board to 115th.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (66th to 71st).
Category by category, Moussa Diabaté is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Reed Sheppard produces more: 37.6 fantasy points to 36.6, on 25.7 minutes a night against 26.4. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4, an even 107.4 projected fantasy points each.
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 | Moussa Diabaté | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.9 | 26.9 |
| Minutes | 26.4 | 25.7 |
| PointsPTS | 8.2 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 8.9 | 2.9 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.1 | 1.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 64.2% | 42.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 68.3% | 81.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 73 | 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 | Moussa Diabaté | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 36.6 | 37.6 |
| Points | 11.1 | 18.5 |
| Rebounds | 12.1 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 5.1 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 2.2 |
| Blocks | 1.3 | 0.8 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 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 | Moussa Diabaté | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.5 | -0.6 |
| ReboundsREB | +1.5 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | +0.0 |
| StealsSTL | +0.1 | +1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.7 | -0.3 |
| Threes3PM | -1.8 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.4 | -1.1 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +0.1 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | +0.3 |
| Total | -0.4 | -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 points, assists, steals, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Moussa Diabaté.
| Punt | Moussa Diabaté | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +1.1 (#31) | +0.2 (#53) |
| REB | -2.1 (#143) | +1.1 (#34) |
| AST | +0.5 (#45) | -0.4 (#70) |
| STL | -0.5 (#75) | -1.8 (#135) |
| BLK | -1.3 (#102) | +0.0 (#58) |
| 3PM | +1.4 (#32) | -1.5 (#116) |
| FG% | -2.3 (#135) | +1.0 (#39) |
| FT% | +0.6 (#45) | -0.4 (#70) |
| TO | -1.4 (#95) | -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)
- Moussa Diabaté: 4 games (Mon WAS, Wed @DET, Fri @WAS, Sat PHI), 1 back-to-back.
- Reed Sheppard: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Moussa Diabaté: 32.0 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
- Reed Sheppard: 26.0 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Moussa Diabaté playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Moussa Diabaté, Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Moussa Diabaté or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Reed Sheppard. 26.9 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 114th on our board to 115th. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.4 (66th to 71st).
Who wins more categories, Moussa Diabaté or Reed Sheppard?
Category by category, Moussa Diabaté is ahead in 4 (REB, BLK, FG% and TO) and Reed Sheppard in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Moussa Diabaté or Reed Sheppard?
Moussa Diabaté plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Reed Sheppard 4, an even 107.4 projected fantasy points each.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 6:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number