Bub Carrington vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 2
Bub Carrington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.1 projected fantasy points to 61.2 for Bub Carrington. Over the season, Bub Carrington leads in points leagues (20.4 fantasy points a game to 20.3) and Sam Merrill in 9-cat leagues (152nd against 253rd). 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 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #199
- 20.4 FP/G, slot 17.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #253
- -4.9 z, slot 22.01
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #201
- 20.3 FP/G, slot 17.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #152
- -2.4 z, slot 13.08, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Bub Carrington. 20.4 fantasy points per game against 20.3, 199th on our board to 201st.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (152nd to 253rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Bub Carrington is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Bub Carrington produces more: 28.4 fantasy points to 28.1, on 25.9 minutes a night against 26.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Bub Carrington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.1 projected fantasy points to 61.2 for Bub Carrington.
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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Bub Carrington | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.4 | 20.3 |
| Minutes | 25.9 | 26.0 |
| PointsPTS | 10.1 | 12.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.0 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 4.2 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 42.5% | 46.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 75.4% | 86.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 2.1 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 82 | 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 | Bub Carrington | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.4 | 28.1 |
| Points | 14.1 | 16.5 |
| Rebounds | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 5.8 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 2.9 | 1.0 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Bub Carrington | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.1 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.2 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | +0.3 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | +0.4 | +1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.8 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | -0.2 | +1.4 |
| Total | -4.9 | -2.4 |
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 | Bub Carrington | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -3.9 (#263) | -1.7 (#154) |
| REB | -3.8 (#235) | -1.1 (#97) |
| AST | -5.3 (#298) | -2.0 (#150) |
| STL | -4.0 (#239) | -1.5 (#122) |
| BLK | -4.1 (#224) | -1.4 (#104) |
| 3PM | -5.4 (#299) | -3.7 (#217) |
| FG% | -4.2 (#219) | -2.0 (#121) |
| FT% | -4.8 (#251) | -2.8 (#169) |
| TO | -4.8 (#203) | -3.9 (#173) |
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)
- Bub Carrington: 3 games (Mon @CHA, Wed @CLE, Fri CHA).
- Sam Merrill: 4 games (Mon MIN, Wed WAS, Thu @ATL, Sat @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Bub Carrington: 12.8 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.4 on the board.
- Sam Merrill: 15.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 20.3 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Bub Carrington playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Bub Carrington or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Bub Carrington. 20.4 fantasy points per game against 20.3, 199th on our board to 201st. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (152nd to 253rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Bub Carrington or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Bub Carrington is ahead in 4 (REB, AST, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Bub Carrington or Sam Merrill?
Bub Carrington plays 3 games in Week 2 (Oct 26-Nov 1), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 81.1 projected fantasy points to 61.2 for Bub Carrington.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number