Sam Merrill vs Trevon Brazile: who to start in Week 3
Sam Merrill plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trevon Brazile 3. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.7 for Trevon Brazile. Over the season, Trevon Brazile leads in points leagues (20.2 fantasy points a game to 20.0) and Sam Merrill in 9-cat leagues (162nd against 196th). 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
- #215
- 20.0 FP/G, slot 18.11
- 9-cat leagues
- #162
- -2.6 z, slot 14.06
The pick in 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #212
- 20.2 FP/G, slot 18.08
- 9-cat leagues
- #196
- -3.6 z, slot 17.04
The pick in points leagues.
The call
Points leagues: Trevon Brazile. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.0, 212th on our board to 215th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (162nd to 196th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Trevon Brazile in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Trevon Brazile produces more: 31.9 fantasy points to 28.1, on 22.8 minutes a night against 25.7. He does it in fewer minutes, so a bigger role would widen the gap.
Sam Merrill plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trevon Brazile 3. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.7 for Trevon Brazile.
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 | Sam Merrill | Trevon Brazile |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.0 | 20.2 |
| Minutes | 25.7 | 22.8 |
| PointsPTS | 11.5 | 8.8 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 6.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 0.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.8 |
| Threes3PM | 2.6 | 1.2 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.5% | 51.6% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.1% | 66.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 0 |
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 | Trevon Brazile |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.1 | 31.9 |
| Points | 16.2 | 13.9 |
| Rebounds | 3.8 | 10.4 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 0.3 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Blocks | 0.1 | 1.3 |
| Threes | 3.7 | 1.9 |
| Turnovers | 0.9 | 1.6 |
Each per-game number divided by minutes and scaled to 36: the rate a bigger role would carry.
9-category z-scores
| Category | Sam Merrill | Trevon Brazile |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.9 | -1.4 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.4 | +0.3 |
| AssistsAST | -0.7 | -1.8 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.2 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | +0.2 |
| Threes3PM | +1.0 | -0.5 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +0.3 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | -0.8 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.6 | +1.2 |
| Total | -2.6 | -3.6 |
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 assists, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Trevon Brazile.
| Punt | Sam Merrill | Trevon Brazile |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#159) | -2.2 (#183) |
| REB | -1.3 (#105) | -4.2 (#260) |
| AST | -2.0 (#152) | -1.9 (#143) |
| STL | -1.8 (#131) | -2.5 (#169) |
| BLK | -1.6 (#115) | -4.2 (#233) |
| 3PM | -3.6 (#222) | -3.0 (#189) |
| FG% | -2.3 (#134) | -4.4 (#226) |
| FT% | -2.9 (#184) | -2.8 (#179) |
| TO | -4.4 (#188) | -5.0 (#214) |
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)
- Sam Merrill: 4 games (Mon OKC, Wed @OKC, Fri PHI, Sat NYK), 1 back-to-back.
- Trevon Brazile: 3 games (Mon POR, Wed TOR, Sat @IND).
Recent games
- Sam Merrill: 17.7 fantasy points a game over his last 7 of 2026-27, against 20.0 on the board.
- Trevon Brazile: 19.9 fantasy points a game over his last 6 of 2026-27, against 20.2 on the board.
Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Sam Merrill playing tonight? · Is Trevon Brazile playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Sam Merrill or Trevon Brazile?
Points leagues: Trevon Brazile. 20.2 fantasy points per game against 20.0, 212th on our board to 215th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill instead, -2.6 in summed z-scores against -3.6 (162nd to 196th), because the categories pay for a different mix.
Who wins more categories, Sam Merrill or Trevon Brazile?
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 6 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM, FT% and TO) and Trevon Brazile in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 3, Sam Merrill or Trevon Brazile?
Sam Merrill plays 4 games in Week 3 (Nov 2-8), Trevon Brazile 3. For that week alone, start Sam Merrill: 80.1 projected fantasy points to 60.7 for Trevon Brazile.
By the Parlae deskBoard updated Nov 3, 2026 at 12:36 AM ETHow this is builtReport a wrong number