Sam Merrill vs Steven Adams: who to start in Week 1
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Steven Adams: 61.9 projected fantasy points to 41.4 for Sam Merrill. Over the season, Sam Merrill leads in both formats: 20.7 fantasy points a game to 20.6, and 150th against 257th 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 24, 8:26 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
Parlae may earn a commission from price links.
- Points leagues
- #195
- 20.7 FP/G, slot 17.03
- 9-cat leagues
- #150
- -2.3 z, slot 13.06, $2
The pick in points and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #197
- 20.6 FP/G, slot 17.05
- 9-cat leagues
- #257
- -4.9 z, slot 22.05
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.7 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 195th on our board to 197th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (150th to 257th).
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Steven Adams in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Steven Adams produces more: 33.8 fantasy points to 28.3, on 21.9 minutes a night against 26.3. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Steven Adams: 61.9 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.
Advertisement
Per game, side by side
| Per game | Sam Merrill | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.7 | 20.6 |
| Minutes | 26.3 | 21.9 |
| PointsPTS | 12.3 | 5.7 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 8.2 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 1.5 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.9% | 51.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.5% | 58.0% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 32 |
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 | Sam Merrill | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.3 | 33.8 |
| Points | 16.8 | 9.4 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 13.5 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 1.0 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 1.7 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
Advertisement
9-category z-scores
| Category | Sam Merrill | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.4 | +1.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | -0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.3 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +0.2 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | -1.6 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.3 | -4.9 |
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 Steven Adams.
| Punt | Sam Merrill | Steven Adams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#151) | -3.0 (#220) |
| REB | -1.0 (#92) | -6.5 (#353) |
| AST | -1.8 (#141) | -3.8 (#236) |
| STL | -1.5 (#120) | -4.1 (#240) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#100) | -5.2 (#284) |
| 3PM | -3.7 (#215) | -3.1 (#188) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#116) | -6.2 (#298) |
| FT% | -2.6 (#163) | -3.2 (#181) |
| TO | -3.8 (#169) | -6.1 (#257) |
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)
- Sam Merrill: 2 games (Thu @PHI, Sat BKN).
- Steven Adams: 3 games (Wed DAL, Fri @SAS, Sat @ATL), 1 back-to-back.
Recent games
- Sam Merrill: 17.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.7 on the board.
- Steven Adams: 10.9 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.6 on the board.
Advertisement
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Sam Merrill playing tonight? · Is Steven Adams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Sam Merrill or Steven Adams?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.7 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 195th on our board to 197th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -4.9 (150th to 257th).
Who wins more categories, Sam Merrill or Steven Adams?
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Steven Adams in 4 (REB, STL, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Sam Merrill or Steven Adams?
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Steven Adams 3. For that week alone, start Steven Adams: 61.9 projected fantasy points to 41.4 for Sam Merrill.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Oct 24, 2026 at 8:26 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number