Brice Sensabaugh vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 2
Brice Sensabaugh plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 60.9 for Brice Sensabaugh. Over the season, Brice Sensabaugh leads in points leagues (20.3 fantasy points a game to 20.3) and Sam Merrill in 9-cat leagues (150th against 217th). 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
- #196
- 20.3 FP/G, slot 17.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #217
- -4.3 z, slot 19.01
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #197
- 20.3 FP/G, slot 17.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #150
- -2.5 z, slot 13.06, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Brice Sensabaugh. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.3, 196th on our board to 197th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.5 in summed z-scores against -4.3 (150th to 217th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Brice Sensabaugh is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Brice Sensabaugh produces more: 34.1 fantasy points to 27.7, on 21.4 minutes a night against 26.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Brice Sensabaugh plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 60.9 for Brice Sensabaugh.
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 | Brice Sensabaugh | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.3 | 20.3 |
| Minutes | 21.4 | 26.3 |
| PointsPTS | 13.3 | 11.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.1 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.7 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.0 | 2.7 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.2% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 83.4% | 87.9% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 75 | 52 |
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 | Brice Sensabaugh | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.1 | 27.7 |
| Points | 22.4 | 16.1 |
| Rebounds | 5.2 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.6 | 0.9 |
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 | Brice Sensabaugh | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.5 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -1.0 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.2 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | +1.1 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.4 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.4 | +1.5 |
| Total | -4.3 | -2.5 |
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
No punt changes the answer: Sam Merrill stays ahead whichever category you give up.
| Punt | Brice Sensabaugh | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.8 (#256) | -1.7 (#153) |
| REB | -3.2 (#198) | -1.2 (#101) |
| AST | -3.4 (#207) | -2.0 (#146) |
| STL | -3.1 (#189) | -1.6 (#124) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#190) | -1.4 (#107) |
| 3PM | -4.7 (#262) | -3.7 (#215) |
| FG% | -4.0 (#207) | -2.0 (#120) |
| FT% | -4.6 (#238) | -2.9 (#172) |
| TO | -4.7 (#196) | -4.0 (#174) |
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)
- Brice Sensabaugh: 3 games (Mon MEM, Wed SAS, Sat POR), 1 back-to-back.
- Sam Merrill: 4 games (Mon MIN, Wed WAS, Thu @ATL, Sat @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Brice Sensabaugh: 12.4 fantasy points a game over his last 4 of 2026-27, against 20.3 on the board.
- Sam Merrill: 16.9 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.3 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Brice Sensabaugh playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Brice Sensabaugh or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Brice Sensabaugh. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.3, 196th on our board to 197th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.5 in summed z-scores against -4.3 (150th to 217th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Brice Sensabaugh or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Brice Sensabaugh is ahead in 3 (PTS, REB and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Brice Sensabaugh or Sam Merrill?
Brice Sensabaugh plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.0 projected fantasy points to 60.9 for Brice Sensabaugh.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 27, 2026 at 8:32 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number