Sam Merrill vs Ziaire Williams: who to start in Week 1
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 58.5 projected fantasy points to 40.6 for Sam Merrill. Over the season, Sam Merrill leads in both formats: 20.3 fantasy points a game to 19.5, and 153rd against 155th 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 25, 8:28 AM ET. Rechecked every 30 minutes.
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- 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 and 9-cat leagues.
- Points leagues
- #211
- 19.5 FP/G, slot 18.07
- 9-cat leagues
- #155
- -2.5 z, slot 13.11, $1
The call
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 19.5, 202nd on our board to 211th.
9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (153rd to 155th).
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ziaire Williams in 3 (STL, BLK and FT%).
Per 36 minutes, Ziaire Williams produces more: 30.0 fantasy points to 28.1, on 23.4 minutes a night against 26.0. 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), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 58.5 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 | Sam Merrill | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points per game | 20.3 | 19.5 |
| Minutes | 26.0 | 23.4 |
| PointsPTS | 12.0 | 10.4 |
| ReboundsREB | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| AssistsAST | 2.4 | 1.2 |
| StealsSTL | 0.6 | 1.4 |
| BlocksBLK | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Threes3PM | 2.8 | 1.5 |
| Field goal %FG% | 46.0% | 44.8% |
| Free throw %FT% | 86.8% | 86.1% |
| TurnoversTO | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Games, 2025-26 | 52 | 56 |
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 | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy points | 28.1 | 30.0 |
| Points | 16.5 | 16.0 |
| Rebounds | 3.7 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 3.3 | 1.8 |
| Steals | 0.9 | 2.1 |
| Blocks | 0.2 | 0.6 |
| Threes | 3.9 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 1.6 |
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 | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PointsPTS | -0.8 | -1.0 |
| ReboundsREB | -1.4 | -1.4 |
| AssistsAST | -0.6 | -1.2 |
| StealsSTL | -1.1 | +0.9 |
| BlocksBLK | -1.2 | -0.6 |
| Threes3PM | +1.2 | -0.2 |
| Field goal percentageFG% | -0.4 | -0.5 |
| Free throw percentageFT% | +0.3 | +0.5 |
| TurnoversTO | +1.4 | +1.0 |
| Total | -2.4 | -2.5 |
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, assists, threes and turnovers flips the 9-cat answer to Ziaire Williams.
| Punt | Sam Merrill | Ziaire Williams |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | -1.7 (#151) | -1.5 (#134) |
| REB | -1.1 (#102) | -1.1 (#106) |
| AST | -2.0 (#148) | -1.3 (#118) |
| STL | -1.5 (#123) | -3.5 (#211) |
| BLK | -1.4 (#105) | -2.1 (#139) |
| 3PM | -3.7 (#213) | -2.4 (#163) |
| FG% | -2.0 (#119) | -2.1 (#127) |
| FT% | -2.8 (#170) | -3.0 (#180) |
| TO | -4.0 (#176) | -3.6 (#162) |
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).
- Ziaire Williams: 3 games (Wed GSW, Fri LAC, Sun @UTA).
Recent games
- Sam Merrill: 15.4 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 20.3 on the board.
- Ziaire Williams: 24.3 fantasy points a game over his last 2 of 2026-27, against 19.5 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 Ziaire Williams playing tonight?
Common questions
Who is better for the rest of the 2026-27 season, Sam Merrill or Ziaire Williams?
Points leagues: Sam Merrill. 20.3 fantasy points per game against 19.5, 202nd on our board to 211th. 9-cat leagues: Sam Merrill again, -2.4 in summed z-scores against -2.5 (153rd to 155th).
Who wins more categories, Sam Merrill or Ziaire Williams?
Category by category, Sam Merrill is ahead in 5 (PTS, AST, 3PM, FG% and TO) and Ziaire Williams in 3 (STL, BLK and FT%).
Who should I start in Week 1, Sam Merrill or Ziaire Williams?
Sam Merrill plays 2 games in Week 1 (Oct 19-25), Ziaire Williams 3. For that week alone, start Ziaire Williams: 58.5 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