Brandin Podziemski or Reed Sheppard? Week 2
Who to start in fantasy basketball in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), PGs ranked 22nd and 23rd at the position, compared on 2025-26 and 2026-27 per-game production.
Updated Oct 26, 4:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- FP/G
- 28.0
- 9-cat
- #105
- Last 1 FP
- 32.9
4 games in Week 2
Week 2 pick in points leagues.
- FP/G
- 27.0
- 9-cat
- #62
- Last 2 FP
- 27.1
4 games in Week 2, 1 back-to-back
Week 2 pick in 9-cat leagues.
The Week 2 call
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Brandin Podziemski. Both have 4 games left in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 28.0 fantasy points to 27.0.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 category value for the week to -5.4, because his category mix is worth more there.
Reed Sheppard has 1 back-to-back in Week 2, the nights rest days tend to land on.
Brandin Podziemski's minutes are up: 32.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board.
Reed Sheppard's minutes are down: 23.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board.
This is the call for one lineup slot across the week, the way weekly-lock leagues play it. In a daily-lineup league, start whichever of the two plays that night, and both when they fit.
Brandin Podziemski rookie cardsReed Sheppard rookie cards
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Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), side by side
| This week | Brandin Podziemski | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Games, Week 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Games counted (left this week) | 4 | 4 |
| Back-to-backs | 0 | 1 |
| Games, Week 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Minutes, last games | 32.9 (last 1) | 23.0 (last 2) |
| Minutes, board | 28.7 | 25.8 |
| Shots per 36, last games | 18.6 | 14.9 |
| Injury | None listed | None listed |
| Projected fantasy points | 112.0 | 108.1 |
| Projected 9-cat value | -5.4 | -0.6 |
Schedule: Brandin Podziemski Mon @DEN, Wed @MIN, Fri LAL, Sun LAC. Reed Sheppard Mon ATL, Wed @MIL, Fri @DAL, Sat OKC.
Projected totals for the games counted
| Stat | Brandin Podziemski | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 56.3 | 53.0 |
| Rebounds | 19.7 | 12.1 |
| Assists | 14.7 | 14.5 |
| Steals | 4.8 | 6.2 |
| Blocks | 0.9 | 2.3 |
| Threes | 7.5 | 11.2 |
| Turnovers | 7.0 | 6.7 |
Each projection is the board's per-game line times the games counted; a player listed Out counts none. 9-cat value is the per-game category score (z-scores against the top 156) times games. Minutes and shots per 36 come from the last 2 games of 2026-27. Schedule from the NBA's published slate via ESPN.
The season-long call
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski, 28.0 fantasy points per game to 27.0.
9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, 62nd overall against 105th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Per game, side by side
| Stat | Brandin Podziemski | Reed Sheppard |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 28.0 | 27.0 |
| Minutes | 28.7 | 25.8 |
| PointsPTS | 14.1 | 13.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.9 | 3.0 |
| AssistsAST | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| StealsSTL | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 1.9 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.1% | 42.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 80.6% | 80.2% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Bold is the better number. Per-game lines blend last season with this one, the same numbers the rankings use.
Other close calls
Week 2 streamers · NBA waiver wire · Games per team this week
Is Brandin Podziemski playing tonight? · Is Reed Sheppard playing tonight?
Your next move
Common questions
Should I start Brandin Podziemski or Reed Sheppard in Week 2?
Points leagues, Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1): start Brandin Podziemski. Both have 4 games left in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), so it comes down to per game: 28.0 fantasy points to 27.0. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, -0.6 category value for the week to -5.4, because his category mix is worth more there. Reed Sheppard has 1 back-to-back in Week 2, the nights rest days tend to land on. Brandin Podziemski's minutes are up: 32.9 a game over his last 1 game of 2026-27, against 28.7 on the board. Reed Sheppard's minutes are down: 23.0 a game over his last 2 games of 2026-27, against 25.8 on the board.
Who is better for the season, Brandin Podziemski or Reed Sheppard?
Points leagues: Brandin Podziemski, 28.0 fantasy points per game to 27.0. 9-cat leagues: Reed Sheppard instead, 62nd overall against 105th, because the categories reward a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brandin Podziemski or Reed Sheppard?
Brandin Podziemski is ahead in 4 (points, rebounds, field goal percentage, free throw percentage); Reed Sheppard in 4 (steals, blocks, threes, turnovers), per game.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 4:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number