Ryan Kalkbrenner vs Sam Merrill: who to start in Week 1
Ryan Kalkbrenner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 40.6 for Sam Merrill. Over the season, Sam Merrill leads in points leagues (20.3 fantasy points a game to 20.2) and Ryan Kalkbrenner in 9-cat leagues (126th against 153rd). 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- Points leagues
- #203
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 17.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #126
- -1.9 z, slot 11.06, $4
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #202
- 20.3 FP/G, slot 17.10
- 9-cat leagues
- #153
- -2.4 z, slot 13.09, $1
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 202nd on our board to 203rd.
9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (126th to 153rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Ryan Kalkbrenner is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Sam Merrill in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Per 36 minutes, Ryan Kalkbrenner produces more: 34.6 fantasy points to 28.1, on 21.0 minutes a night against 26.0. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Ryan Kalkbrenner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 40.6 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 | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.2 | 20.3 |
| Minutes | 21.0 | 26.0 |
| PointsPTS | 7.2 | 12.0 |
| ReboundsREB | 5.5 | 2.7 |
| AssistsAST | 1.0 | 2.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 1.6 | 0.1 |
| Threes3PM | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Field goal %FG% | 75.6% | 46.0% |
| Free throw %FT% | 73.6% | 86.8% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.9 | 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 | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 34.6 | 28.1 |
| Points | 12.3 | 16.5 |
| Rebounds | 9.4 | 3.7 |
| Assists | 1.7 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 2.7 | 0.2 |
| Threes | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| 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 | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -1.6 | -0.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -0.1 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -1.3 | -0.6 |
| StealsSTL | -1.7 | -1.1 |
| BlocksBLK | +1.8 | -1.2 |
| Threes3PM | -1.7 | +1.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | +1.8 | -0.4 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | -0.3 | +0.3 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.2 | +1.4 |
| Total | -1.9 | -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
Punting rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Sam Merrill.
| Punt | Ryan Kalkbrenner | Sam Merrill |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -0.4 (#76) | -1.7 (#151) |
| REB | -2.0 (#138) | -1.1 (#102) |
| AST | -0.6 (#78) | -2.0 (#148) |
| STL | -0.3 (#71) | -1.5 (#123) |
| BLK | -4.1 (#223) | -1.4 (#105) |
| 3PM | -0.2 (#68) | -3.7 (#213) |
| FG% | -4.2 (#216) | -2.0 (#119) |
| FT% | -1.6 (#119) | -2.8 (#170) |
| TO | -3.3 (#151) | -4.0 (#176) |
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)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 3 games (Wed @BKN, Fri ATL, Sat MIA), 1 back-to-back.
- Sam Merrill: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
Recent games
- Ryan Kalkbrenner: 20.1 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 Ryan Kalkbrenner playing tonight? · Is Sam Merrill playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Ryan Kalkbrenner
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Ryan Kalkbrenner or Sam Merrill?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 20.2, 202nd on our board to 203rd. 9-cat leagues: Ryan Kalkbrenner instead, -1.9 in summed z-scores against -2.4 (126th to 153rd), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Ryan Kalkbrenner or Sam Merrill?
Category by category, Ryan Kalkbrenner is ahead in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%) and Sam Merrill in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO).
Who should I start in Week 1, Ryan Kalkbrenner or Sam Merrill?
Ryan Kalkbrenner plays 3 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Sam Merrill 2. For that week alone, start Ryan Kalkbrenner: 60.5 projected fantasy points to 40.6 for Sam Merrill.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 25, 2026 at 8:28 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number