Paul Reed vs Stephon Castle: who to start in Week 3
Paul Reed plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for Paul Reed. Over the season, Stephon Castle leads in points leagues (34.0 fantasy points a game to 22.1) and Paul Reed in 9-cat leagues (144th against 145th). 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, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #182
- 22.1 FP/G, slot 16.02
- 9-cat leagues
- #144
- -2.3 z, slot 12.12, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #61
- 34.0 FP/G, slot 6.01, $17
- 9-cat leagues
- #145
- -2.3 z, slot 13.01, $2
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.0 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 61st on our board to 182nd.
9-cat leagues: Paul Reed instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (144th to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Paul Reed is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Per 36 minutes, Paul Reed produces more: 45.3 fantasy points to 41.0, on 17.6 minutes a night against 29.8. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Paul Reed plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for Paul Reed.
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 | Paul Reed | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 22.1 | 34.0 |
| Minutes | 17.6 | 29.8 |
| PointsPTS | 9.5 | 16.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 1.4 | 6.7 |
| StealsSTL | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Threes3PM | 0.4 | 1.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 62.2% | 45.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.9% | 73.6% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.2 | 3.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 65 | 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 | Paul Reed | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 45.3 | 41.0 |
| Points | 19.4 | 19.4 |
| Rebounds | 10.7 | 6.5 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 8.1 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| Blocks | 1.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 0.8 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 3.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Paul Reed | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | +1.5 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | +0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.3 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | -1.3 | -0.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.4 | -0.6 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.6 | -0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.9 | -1.3 |
| Total | -2.3 | -2.3 |
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, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Stephon Castle.
| Punt | Paul Reed | Stephon Castle |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.0 (#111) | -2.2 (#187) |
| REB | -2.3 (#153) | -2.2 (#149) |
| AST | -1.2 (#111) | -3.9 (#242) |
| STL | -2.2 (#153) | -2.7 (#175) |
| BLK | -2.9 (#167) | -1.5 (#112) |
| 3PM | -0.9 (#87) | -2.1 (#158) |
| FG% | -4.1 (#212) | -2.1 (#131) |
| FT% | -1.6 (#125) | -1.4 (#115) |
| TO | -3.5 (#158) | -0.9 (#84) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Paul Reed: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed PHI, Sun LAL).
- Stephon Castle: 4 games (Mon UTA, Wed DAL, Fri @SAC, Sat @POR), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Paul Reed: 29.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 22.1 on the board.
- Stephon Castle: 30.9 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 34.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Paul Reed playing tonight? · Is Stephon Castle playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Stephon Castle
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Paul Reed or Stephon Castle?
Points leagues: Stephon Castle. 34.0 fantasy points per game against 22.1, 61st on our board to 182nd. 9-cat leagues: Paul Reed instead, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -2.3 (144th to 145th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Paul Reed or Stephon Castle?
Category by category, Paul Reed is ahead in 4 (BLK, FG%, FT% and TO) and Stephon Castle in 5 (PTS, REB, AST, STL and 3PM).
Who should I start in Week 3, Paul Reed or Stephon Castle?
Paul Reed plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Stephon Castle 4. For that week alone, start Stephon Castle: 135.9 projected fantasy points to 66.3 for Paul Reed.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number