Reed Sheppard vs Saddiq Bey: who to start in Week 1
Reed Sheppard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 87.8 projected fantasy points to 78.7 for Reed Sheppard. Over the season, Saddiq Bey leads in points leagues (29.3 fantasy points a game to 26.2) and Reed Sheppard in 9-cat leagues (70th against 71st). 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 24, 10:27 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #121
- 26.2 FP/G, slot 11.01, $6
- 9-cat leagues
- #70
- -0.6 z, slot 6.10, $12
Game-time decision (Knee)
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #91
- 29.3 FP/G, slot 8.07, $11
- 9-cat leagues
- #71
- -0.6 z, slot 6.11, $12
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Saddiq Bey. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 91st on our board to 121st.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.6 (70th to 71st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Saddiq Bey in 5 (PTS, REB, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Reed Sheppard produces more: 37.0 fantasy points to 34.8, on 25.5 minutes a night against 30.2. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Reed Sheppard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 87.8 projected fantasy points to 78.7 for Reed Sheppard.
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 | Reed Sheppard | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.2 | 29.3 |
| Minutes | 25.5 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 12.9 | 17.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.8 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.1% | 46.2% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.2% | 85.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 72 |
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 | Reed Sheppard | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.0 | 34.8 |
| Points | 18.1 | 20.9 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 2.7 |
| Steals | 2.1 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 3.7 | 2.6 |
| Turnovers | 2.2 | 1.3 |
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 | Reed Sheppard | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | +0.2 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.5 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | +0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.2 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.0 | +0.7 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | +1.0 |
| Total | -0.6 | -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 assists, steals, blocks and threes flips the 9-cat answer to Saddiq Bey.
| Punt | Reed Sheppard | Saddiq Bey |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.1 (#60) | -0.8 (#100) |
| REB | +0.7 (#43) | -0.5 (#75) |
| AST | -0.6 (#78) | +0.0 (#52) |
| STL | -2.0 (#145) | -0.2 (#67) |
| BLK | -0.5 (#73) | +0.4 (#50) |
| 3PM | -1.7 (#127) | -1.2 (#104) |
| FG% | +0.7 (#45) | -0.1 (#64) |
| FT% | -0.7 (#81) | -1.3 (#109) |
| TO | -0.9 (#79) | -1.6 (#101) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Reed Sheppard: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back, listed GTD.
- Saddiq Bey: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Reed Sheppard: 14.4 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 26.2 on the board.
- Saddiq Bey: 21.6 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 29.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight? · Is Saddiq Bey playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Reed Sheppard
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Reed Sheppard or Saddiq Bey?
Points leagues: Saddiq Bey. 29.3 fantasy points per game against 26.2, 91st on our board to 121st. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 in summed z-scores against -0.6 (70th to 71st), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Reed Sheppard or Saddiq Bey?
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 4 (AST, STL, BLK and 3PM) and Saddiq Bey in 5 (PTS, REB, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Reed Sheppard or Saddiq Bey?
Reed Sheppard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Saddiq Bey 3. For that week alone, start Saddiq Bey: 87.8 projected fantasy points to 78.7 for Reed Sheppard.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 10:27 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number