Isaiah Jackson vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 3
Isaiah Jackson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.0 for Isaiah Jackson. Over the season, Sam Merrill leads in both formats: 20.0 fantasy points a game to 20.0, and 162nd against 208th in 9-cat. 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 Nov 3, 12:36 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #216
- 20.0 FP/G, slot 18.12
- 9-cat leagues
- #208
- -3.8 z, slot 18.04
- Points leagues
- #215
- 20.0 FP/G, slot 18.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #162
- -2.6 z, slot 14.06
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.0 fantasy points per game against 20.0, 215th on our board to 216th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (162nd to 208th).
Category by category, Isaiah Jackson is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Isaiah Jackson produces more: 40.2 fantasy points to 28.1, on 17.9 minutes a night against 25.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Isaiah Jackson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.0 for Isaiah Jackson.
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 | Isaiah Jackson | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.0 | 20.0 |
| Minutes | 17.9 | 25.7 |
| PointsPTS | 7.1 | 11.5 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.3 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| Field goal %FG% | 60.2% | 45.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 65.3% | 86.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 55 | 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 | Isaiah Jackson | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 40.2 | 28.1 |
| Points | 14.2 | 16.2 |
| Rebounds | 11.1 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 1.9 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.9 | 0.1 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 3.7 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 0.9 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Isaiah Jackson | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.7 | -0.9 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.2 | -0.7 |
| StealsSTL | -0.3 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | +0.5 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +1.0 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +0.9 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.9 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +0.8 | +1.6 |
| Total | -3.8 | -2.6 |
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 threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Isaiah Jackson.
| Punt | Isaiah Jackson | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.2 (#181) | -1.7 (#159) |
| REB | -4.0 (#248) | -1.3 (#105) |
| AST | -2.7 (#186) | -2.0 (#152) |
| STL | -3.7 (#229) | -1.8 (#131) |
| BLK | -4.7 (#258) | -1.6 (#115) |
| 3PM | -2.0 (#149) | -3.6 (#222) |
| FG% | -5.3 (#266) | -2.3 (#134) |
| FT% | -2.8 (#181) | -2.9 (#184) |
| TO | -4.9 (#212) | -4.4 (#188) |
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 432 ranked players.
Week 3 (Nov 2-8)
- Isaiah Jackson: 3 games (Mon TOR, Wed MIA, Sun NOP), 1 back-to-back.
- Sam Merrill: 4 games (Mon OKC, Wed @OKC, Fri PHI, Sat NYK), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Isaiah Jackson: 23.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 20.0 on the board.
- Sam Merrill: 17.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 20.0 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Isaiah Jackson playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Isaiah Jackson or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.0 fantasy points per game against 20.0, 215th on our board to 216th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -3.8 (162nd to 208th).
Who wins more categories, Isaiah Jackson or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Isaiah Jackson is ahead in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 3, Isaiah Jackson or Sam Merrill?
Isaiah Jackson plays 3 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Sam Merrill 4. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.0 for Isaiah Jackson.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number