Kevin Huerter vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 2
Kevin Huerter 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 60.6 for Kevin Huerter. Over the season, Sam Merrill leads in both formats: 20.3 fantasy points a game to 20.2, and 152nd against 197th 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 Oct 26, 2:30 PM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #202
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.10
- 9-cat leagues
- #197
- -3.7 z, slot 17.05
- Points leagues
- #201
- 20.3 FP/G, slot 17.09
- 9-cat leagues
- #152
- -2.4 z, slot 13.08, $2
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 201st on our board to 202nd.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (152nd to 197th).
Category by category, Kevin Huerter is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Kevin Huerter produces more: 32.7 fantasy points to 28.1, on 22.3 minutes a night against 26.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Kevin Huerter 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 60.6 for Kevin Huerter.
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 | Kevin Huerter | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.2 | 20.3 |
| Minutes | 22.3 | 26.0 |
| PointsPTS | 9.3 | 12.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.9 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 1.4 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 43.8% | 46.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 77.5% | 86.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 69 | 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 | Kevin Huerter | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 32.7 | 28.1 |
| Points | 15.1 | 16.5 |
| Rebounds | 5.8 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 4.0 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 2.2 | 3.9 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 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 | Kevin Huerter | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.2 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.9 | -1.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -0.4 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | -0.5 | -1.1 |
| Threes3PM | -0.3 | +1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.6 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.1 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.0 | +1.4 |
| Total | -3.7 | -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 threes flips the 9-cat answer to Kevin Huerter.
| Punt | Kevin Huerter | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -2.5 (#194) | -1.7 (#154) |
| REB | -2.9 (#180) | -1.1 (#97) |
| AST | -3.2 (#197) | -2.0 (#150) |
| STL | -3.4 (#200) | -1.5 (#122) |
| BLK | -3.4 (#191) | -1.4 (#104) |
| 3PM | -3.4 (#209) | -3.7 (#217) |
| FG% | -3.2 (#165) | -2.0 (#121) |
| FT% | -3.6 (#200) | -2.8 (#169) |
| TO | -4.8 (#202) | -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)
- Kevin Huerter: 3 games (Tue @NYK, Wed CHA, Fri @BKN), 1 back-to-back.
- Sam Merrill: 4 games (Mon MIN, Wed WAS, Thu @ATL, Sat @MIL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Kevin Huerter: 15.1 fantasy points a game over his last 3 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
- Sam Merrill: 15.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 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 Kevin Huerter playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Kevin Huerter or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 201st on our board to 202nd. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -3.7 (152nd to 197th).
Who wins more categories, Kevin Huerter or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Kevin Huerter is ahead in 3 (REB, STL and BLK) and Sam Merrill in 5 (PTS, 3PM, FG%, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 2, Kevin Huerter or Sam Merrill?
Kevin Huerter 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 60.6 for Kevin Huerter.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number