Reed Sheppard vs Zach LaVine: who to draft in 2026-27
Draft Reed Sheppard in both formats: 27.0 fantasy points a game to 27.0 in points leagues, and 65th against 119th in 9-cat. The two go close together on our board, which is our own ranking order from 2025-26 box scores, not ADP.
- Points leagues
- #117
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.09, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #65
- -0.2 z, slot 6.05, $14
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #118
- 27.0 FP/G, slot 10.10, $7
- 9-cat leagues
- #119
- -1.8 z, slot 10.11, $6
The call
Points leagues: draft Reed Sheppard. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 117th on our board to 118th.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (65th to 119th).
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, FG% and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Reed Sheppard produces more: 37.2 fantasy points to 30.9, on 26.2 minutes a night against 31.4. 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), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 81.1 projected fantasy points to 80.9 for Zach LaVine.
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 | Reed Sheppard | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 27.0 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 26.2 | 31.4 |
| PointsPTS | 13.5 | 19.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| AssistsAST | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Threes3PM | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.0% | 47.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.2% | 88.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 39 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.2 | 30.9 |
| Points | 18.6 | 22.0 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | 3.2 |
| Assists | 4.6 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 0.8 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| Threes | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.1 | 2.2 |
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 | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | +0.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.1 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | +1.3 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.1 | -0.9 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | +0.9 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.1 | -0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.0 | +0.9 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.5 | -0.0 |
| Total | -0.2 | -1.8 |
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 flips the 9-cat answer to Zach LaVine.
| Punt | Reed Sheppard | Zach LaVine |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.2 (#56) | -2.3 (#176) |
| REB | +1.1 (#36) | -0.4 (#68) |
| AST | -0.2 (#67) | -1.2 (#107) |
| STL | -1.6 (#124) | -1.0 (#96) |
| BLK | -0.2 (#68) | -0.9 (#85) |
| 3PM | -1.4 (#110) | -2.8 (#177) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#46) | -1.5 (#100) |
| FT% | -0.3 (#72) | -2.8 (#166) |
| TO | -0.7 (#76) | -1.8 (#103) |
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 406 ranked players.
Week 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Reed Sheppard: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
- Zach LaVine: 3 games (Wed @LAC, Fri POR, Sun MEM).
Recent games
- Reed Sheppard: 28.0 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.0 on the board.
- Zach LaVine: 25.2 fantasy points a game over his last 10 of 2025-26, against 27.0 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Common questions
Should I draft Reed Sheppard or Zach LaVine in 2026-27?
Points leagues: draft Reed Sheppard. 27.0 fantasy points per game against 27.0, 117th on our board to 118th. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard again, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -1.8 (65th to 119th).
Who wins more categories, Reed Sheppard or Zach LaVine?
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 6 (REB, AST, STL, BLK, 3PM and TO) and Zach LaVine in 3 (PTS, FG% and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Reed Sheppard or Zach LaVine?
Reed Sheppard plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Zach LaVine 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 81.1 projected fantasy points to 80.9 for Zach LaVine.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 13, 2026 at 5:20 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number