Reed Sheppard vs Zion Williamson: who to start in Week 2
Reed Sheppard plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 107.4 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson. Over the season, Zion Williamson leads in points leagues (35.2 fantasy points a game to 26.9) and Reed Sheppard in 9-cat leagues (66th against 67th). 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, 8:32 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- 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 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #47
- 35.2 FP/G, slot 4.11, $20
- 9-cat leagues
- #67
- -0.2 z, slot 6.07, $14
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 47th on our board to 114th.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (66th to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Zion Williamson produces more: 41.9 fantasy points to 37.6, on 30.2 minutes a night against 25.7. He already plays as much or more, so the gap is not a role waiting to grow.
Reed Sheppard plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 107.4 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson.
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 26.9 | 35.2 |
| Minutes | 25.7 | 30.2 |
| PointsPTS | 13.2 | 20.9 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.9 | 5.2 |
| AssistsAST | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| StealsSTL | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.8 | 0.1 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.9% | 59.4% |
| Free throw %FT% | 81.4% | 73.4% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 62 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 37.6 | 41.9 |
| Points | 18.5 | 25.0 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 5.1 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 2.2 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 0.1 |
| Turnovers | 2.3 | 2.5 |
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 | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.6 | +0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.3 | -0.2 |
| AssistsAST | +0.0 | -0.3 |
| StealsSTL | +1.4 | +0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.1 | -1.6 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.1 | +2.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.1 | -1.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.3 | -0.3 |
| Total | -0.2 | -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 assists, steals, threes, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Zion Williamson.
| Punt | Reed Sheppard | Zion Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | +0.2 (#53) | -1.1 (#110) |
| REB | +1.1 (#34) | -0.4 (#71) |
| AST | -0.4 (#70) | -0.1 (#58) |
| STL | -1.8 (#135) | -0.9 (#88) |
| BLK | +0.0 (#58) | -0.2 (#64) |
| 3PM | -1.5 (#116) | +1.3 (#34) |
| FG% | +1.0 (#39) | -3.6 (#184) |
| FT% | -0.4 (#70) | +1.2 (#36) |
| TO | -0.5 (#73) | +0.1 (#63) |
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)
- Reed Sheppard: 4 games (Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC), 1 back-to-back.
- Zion Williamson: 3 games (Wed DEN, Thu SAC, Sat ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Reed Sheppard: 26.0 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 26.9 on the board.
- Zion Williamson: 35.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 35.2 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 Zion Williamson playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Reed Sheppard, Zion Williamson
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Reed Sheppard or Zion Williamson?
Points leagues: Zion Williamson. 35.2 fantasy points per game against 26.9, 47th on our board to 114th. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.2 in summed z-scores against -0.2 (66th to 67th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Reed Sheppard or Zion Williamson?
Category by category, Reed Sheppard is ahead in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Zion Williamson in 3 (PTS, REB and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 2, Reed Sheppard or Zion Williamson?
Reed Sheppard plays 4 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Zion Williamson 3. For that week alone, start Reed Sheppard: 107.4 projected fantasy points to 105.5 for Zion Williamson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number