Sam Merrill vs Yves Missi: who to start in Week 1
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Yves Missi 3. For that week alone, start Yves Missi: 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 179th 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.
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- 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
- #196
- 20.6 FP/G, slot 17.04
- 9-cat leagues
- #179
- -3.3 z, slot 15.11
Game-time decision (Knee)
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.7 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 195th on our board to 196th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -3.3 (150th to 179th).
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Yves Missi in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Per 36 minutes, Yves Missi produces more: 37.9 fantasy points to 28.3, on 19.6 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), Yves Missi 3. For that week alone, start Yves Missi: 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.
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Per game, side by side
| Per game | Sam Merrill | Yves Missi |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.7 | 20.6 |
| Minutes | 26.3 | 19.6 |
| PointsPTS | 12.3 | 6.2 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 6.0 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 1.4 |
| StealsSTL | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 1.6 |
| Threes3PM | 2.9 | 0.0 |
| Field goal %FG% | 45.9% | 58.5% |
| Free throw %FT% | 85.5% | 58.7% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 66 |
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 | Yves Missi |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.3 | 37.9 |
| Points | 16.8 | 11.3 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 11.1 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 2.9 |
| Threes | 4.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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 | Sam Merrill | Yves Missi |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.7 | -1.8 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.4 | +0.1 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.1 |
| StealsSTL | -1.0 | -1.7 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | +1.9 |
| Threes3PM | +1.3 | -1.7 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | +0.7 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.2 | -1.0 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.3 |
| Total | -2.3 | -3.3 |
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, threes and free throw percentage flips the 9-cat answer to Yves Missi.
| Punt | Sam Merrill | Yves Missi |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#151) | -1.5 (#135) |
| REB | -1.0 (#92) | -3.7 (#240) |
| AST | -1.8 (#141) | -2.2 (#161) |
| STL | -1.5 (#120) | -1.6 (#124) |
| BLK | -1.2 (#100) | -5.6 (#298) |
| 3PM | -3.7 (#215) | -1.5 (#115) |
| FG% | -1.8 (#116) | -4.7 (#240) |
| FT% | -2.6 (#163) | -2.1 (#144) |
| TO | -3.8 (#169) | -4.8 (#201) |
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).
- Yves Missi: 3 games (Wed IND, Fri @UTA, Sat @DEN), 1 back-to-back, listed GTD.
Recent games
- Sam Merrill: 17.0 fantasy points a game over his last 1 of 2026-27, against 20.7 on the board.
- Yves Missi: 30.8 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 20.6 on the board.
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Other picks at the same spot
NBA fantasy rankings · Draft cheat sheet · Sleepers
Is Sam Merrill playing tonight? · Is Yves Missi playing tonight?
Rookie cards: Yves Missi
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Sam Merrill or Yves Missi?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.7 fantasy points per game against 20.6, 195th on our board to 196th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.3 in summed z-scores against -3.3 (150th to 179th).
Who wins more categories, Sam Merrill or Yves Missi?
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, STL, 3PM and FT%) and Yves Missi in 3 (REB, BLK and FG%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Sam Merrill or Yves Missi?
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Yves Missi 3. For that week alone, start Yves Missi: 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