Jordan Goodwin vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 1
Jordan Goodwin plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Jordan Goodwin: 42.8 projected fantasy points to 41.4 for Sam Merrill. Over the season, Jordan Goodwin leads in points leagues (21.4 fantasy points a game to 20.7) and Sam Merrill in 9-cat leagues (146th against 148th). 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 23, 3:53 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #185
- 21.4 FP/G, slot 16.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #148
- -2.4 z, slot 13.04, $2
The pick in points leagues.
- Points leagues
- #197
- 20.7 FP/G, slot 17.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #146
- -2.4 z, slot 13.02, $2
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Jordan Goodwin. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 20.7, 185th on our board to 197th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (146th to 148th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Jordan Goodwin is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 6 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Jordan Goodwin produces more: 34.3 fantasy points to 28.3, on 22.4 minutes a night against 26.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Jordan Goodwin plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Jordan Goodwin: 42.8 projected fantasy points to 41.4 for Sam Merrill.
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 | Jordan Goodwin | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 21.4 | 20.7 |
| Minutes | 22.4 | 26.3 |
| PointsPTS | 8.3 | 12.3 |
| ReboundsREB | 4.8 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 1.5 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Field goal %FG% | 40.7% | 45.9% |
| Free throw %FT% | 69.6% | 85.5% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 70 | 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 | Jordan Goodwin | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.3 | 28.3 |
| Points | 13.4 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 7.7 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 2.5 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.6 | 1.0 |
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 | Jordan Goodwin | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.4 | -0.7 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.8 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | +1.5 | -1.0 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.1 | +1.3 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -1.0 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.2 | +0.2 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.1 | +1.4 |
| Total | -2.4 | -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
Punting points, assists, threes, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Jordan Goodwin.
| Punt | Jordan Goodwin | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.1 (#110) | -1.7 (#150) |
| REB | -2.1 (#140) | -1.0 (#87) |
| AST | -1.7 (#125) | -1.8 (#142) |
| STL | -3.9 (#229) | -1.5 (#116) |
| BLK | -1.6 (#114) | -1.3 (#101) |
| 3PM | -2.4 (#150) | -3.8 (#218) |
| FG% | -1.6 (#105) | -1.9 (#118) |
| FT% | -2.1 (#143) | -2.7 (#162) |
| TO | -3.6 (#157) | -3.9 (#171) |
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 1 (Oct 19-25)
- Jordan Goodwin: 2 games (Wed @POR, Sat GSW).
- Sam Merrill: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Recent games
- Jordan Goodwin: 12.8 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 21.4 on the board.
- Sam Merrill: 17.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.7 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Jordan Goodwin playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Jordan Goodwin or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Jordan Goodwin. 21.4 fantasy points per game against 20.7, 185th on our board to 197th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (146th to 148th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Jordan Goodwin or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Jordan Goodwin is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 6 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Jordan Goodwin or Sam Merrill?
Jordan Goodwin plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Jordan Goodwin: 42.8 projected fantasy points to 41.4 for Sam Merrill.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 23, 2026 at 3:53 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number