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43 articles
HOU • • #
about 15 hours ago
Smith was back in the Rockets’ lineup after a one-game absence and had a solid night scoring-wise. The 17 points were the most for him in four appearances, having tallied 31 in a February 23 win over the Jazz. Smith entered Sunday having missed three of Houston’s previous four games with an ankle injury, and his return pushed Reed Sheppard to the bench. Sheppard (17/3/3/1/1 with three three-pointers) still played 35 minutes against the Spurs, and he should remain rostered in 12-team leagues.
HOU • • #
about 19 hours ago
Smith is back in the Rockets’ starting lineup, pushing Reed Sheppard to the bench. Sheppard will still play heavy minutes and should be rostered in 12-team leagues.
HOU • • #
2 days ago
Smith is back after sitting out Friday’s win over the Trail Blazers, which was Houston’s second game in as many nights. His return means that Reed Sheppard will return to the bench, where he will still play heavy minutes.
Source: NBA Injury Report
HOU • • #
3 days ago
Smith is set to miss only his fourth game of the season on Friday against the Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old forward is dealing with an ankle injury. With Smith out, Tari Eason and Josh Okogie should see additional minutes.
HOU • • #
3 days ago
Smith Jr. logged 42 minutes in Thursday’s OT loss to the Warriors, and the Rockets may give him the night off for the second leg of a back-to-back set as he continues to recover from a right ankle sprain. If JSJ is unable to go, Tari Eason and Josh Okogie could see additional run.
Source: NBA Injury Report
HOU • • #
5 days ago
Following a two-game absence, Smith will return to take on Golden State, which is what Rockets coach Ime Udoka had previously indicated. Reed Sheppard played well as a starter, but he will likely return to the bench with Smith returning.
Source: Will Kunkel
HOU • • #
7 days ago
Smith, who sprained his right ankle during Thursday’s win over the Magic, has missed the last two games, including Monday’s matchup with the Wizards. Udoka also said he’ll likely return to his usual starting lineup when Smith returns, which means Reed Sheppard is the odd man out. While the second-year guard will still play plenty, his fantasy value takes a hit in the reserve role.
Source: ClutchFans
HOU • • #
9 days ago
Reed Sheppard is set to start for the next two games in Smith’s absence and is worth rostering in most formats. With Smith ruled out for the next two games, the earliest he could return would be Thursday against the Warriors.
HOU • • #
10 days ago
Smith rolled his right ankle late in Thursday’s win over the Magic and limped back to the locker room immediately. His absence on Saturday opens up a spot in the starting lineup, with Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie being potential replacements. Sheppard, who’s worth rostering in fantasy leagues in his current reserve role, offers a higher ceiling.
Source: NBA Injury Report
HOU • • #
14 days ago
Smith led the Rockets in scoring with 31 points in the victory over the Jazz on Monday. The Rockets turned the ball over 26 times combined, but still cruised to a 20-point victory. The 22-year-old power forward has provided top-40 per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Rockets have three more games in Week 18, the next of which comes on Wednesday against the Kings.
HOU • • #
16 days ago
Smith shot 4-of-8 from three against the Knicks, with the four triples being the most in a game for him since hitting seven in a January 18 win over the Pelicans. The Rockets forward filled his stat line, and he’s been a top-50 player in eight- and nine-cat formats over the past three weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Rockets open a four-game Week 18 on Monday against the Jazz.
HOU • • #
26 days ago
This was the third straight game that Smith was able to record a double-double, which is his second-longest streak of the season. He had four straight in mid-December and will look to match that mark in Houston’s first game after the All-Star break. Smith has been excellent over the last two weeks and has contribute plenty of defensive stats, even though he didn’t in this game. He had at least one block in seven straight games before failing to swat a shot in this one.
HOU • • #
27 days ago
For the first time since mid-December, when he ripped off four straight, Smith has recorded a double-double in consecutive games. He didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, but the Rockets forward was active on the glass and recorded a complete stat line. Rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Smith has been close to a top-25 player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. For managers who need frontcourt production, he’s worth adding ahead of Wednesday’s rematch with the Clippers.
HOU • • #
30 days ago
Smith had 17 points and seven rebounds in Thursday’s loss to the Hornets. The 22-year-old forward was a little better in both categories Saturday with 22 points and 10 boards as the Rockets beat the Thunder. Smith has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Rockets have four games upcoming in Week 17, starting with a home date with the Clippers on Tuesday.
HOU • • #
about 1 month ago
Smith continues to provide consistent production, sitting within the top-50 in nine-cat formats over the past three weeks, according to Basketball Monster. As a result, his season-long value has improved, with Smith being a 10th-round player. He’s rostered in 49 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so it might be time for some managers in 10-team formats to consider adding Smith if he’s sitting on the waiver wire. The Rockets end Week 16 with a game against the Thunder on Saturday.
HOU • • #
about 1 month ago
Smith has hit double figures in four straight and eight of his last ten games, providing some semblance of consistency. Over the past two weeks, he has been a top-50 player in eight-cat formats according to Basketball Monster. Smith’s fantasy upside may be limited due to him sharing a lineup with Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson. Still, he’s capable of providing good enough value to merit being rostered in 12-team leagues.
HOU • • #
about 1 month ago
Having made multiple three-pointers in four straight games, Smith’s 19 points were the most for him since dropping 32 in a January 18 win over the Pelicans. Since that performance, the 6-foot-10 forward has been a fifth-round player in eight-cat formats. In nine-cat formats, Smith has been a top-100 player this season, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP (115). The Rockets play four games in Week 16, starting with the Pacers on Monday.
HOU • • #
about 1 month ago
Smith entered the league as a high-caliber defensive prospect, but that hasn’t led to many defensive stats during his career. Those numbers are slightly up this year, but he still hasn’t been effective. However, in this game, he was able to make a massive impact on that end. He set a new career high for blocks and matched his season high for steals. That hasn’t been the norm for him, and managers shouldn’t expect that to continue moving forward. Still, it was an excellent night for him.
HOU • • #
about 1 month ago
Smith has had some subpar performances recently, but he was able to turn in a strong line on Friday. This was only his second double-double of the month, and despite being a high-level defender, Smith hasn’t been able to consistently contribute defensive stats. That wasn’t the case in this game. He didn’t do much scoring, but he was efficient. He’ll look to keep it going against the Grizzlies on Monday.
HOU • • #
about 2 months ago
On a night when teammate Kevin Durant made some personal history, Smith had one of the best games of his NBA career. The Rockets’ forward finished with a season-high point total, and the seven three-pointers were a career-high. And to say Smith needed a night like Sunday would be an understatement. Even with this performance, he’s shot 36.1 percent from the field over the past two weeks. Smith will look to carry the momentum into a three-game Week 14 that begins on Tuesday against the Spurs.
HOU • • #
about 2 months ago
While double-doubles have been the norm for frontcourt partner Alperen Şengün, that hasn’t been the case for Smith. On Thursday, he recorded his eighth of the season and second since going on a run of four consecutive games with a double-double in mid-December. Rostered in 47 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Smith has been a 12th-round player in eight-cat formats over the past month.
HOU • • #
2 months ago
Smith had another great game against the Pacers on Monday. While Tari Eason is back starting and played 29 minutes, Smith’s fantasy value wasn’t impacted negatively. Smith is rostered in just 47 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which is simply too low. He’s provided sixth-round value over the last two weeks and is showing no signs of slowing down.
HOU • • #
2 months ago
Rostered in 47 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Smith has provided sixth-round per-game value in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. While there is certainly concern about how Tari Eason’s return may affect his value, Smith was solid in wins over the Lakers and Cavaliers to end Week 10. Also, Eason (nine points, six rebounds, two steals, one block and two three-pointers in 21 minutes) will remain limited to 25 minutes, and back-to-backs remain off the board for the foreseeable future. For that reason, Smith’s fantasy value may be protected for the time being.
HOU • • #
3 months ago
Enjoying one of the most consistently productive stretches of his NBA career, Smith has recorded a double-double in four straight games. He also recorded his fifth 20-point game on Saturday, and over the last two weeks, Smith has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. If there’s a concern, it’s the turnovers. Smith committed four on Saturday and is averaging 3.5 per game over the last two weeks.
HOU • • #
3 months ago
Smith had some good games with Alperen Sengun sidelined and had another good game with Sengun back in the lineup against the Clippers Thursday. The 22-year-old power forward has provided top-100 value this season, but has a limited ceiling playing alongside Sengun and Kevin Durant.
HOU • • #
3 months ago
Smith took advantage of Alperen Şengün’s absence due to an illness, recording a complete stat line while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. While he has reached double figures in scoring in 13 straight games, Saturday’s defeat was the third in which Smith scored at least 20 points. While he is providing top-100 value, Smith has a limited ceiling due to the presence of Şengün and Kevin Durant.
HOU • • #
3 months ago
Smith Jr. tallied another double-digit scoring performance, marking his 18th in 19 games this season — he didn’t get many looks at the rim on Friday but made the most of his opportunities. There wasn’t much production elsewhere for the fourth-year forward against Phoenix, but it wasn’t needed in the lopsided win. He’ll have a chance to find more production on Saturday against Dallas.
HOU • • #
3 months ago
Smith Jr. finished Wednesday as one of the Rockets’ leading scorers despite not shooting a great percentage. He did have success from the three-point line, but wasn’t able to land much production elsewhere. Yet, even with an unspectacular Wednesday performance, the fourth-year forward is putting together his highest-scoring and most efficient three-point shooting season of his career. He’ll have a chance to log better numbers against the Jazz on Sunday.
HOU • • #
4 months ago
Due to knee issues, Smith and Adams were initially questionable for Friday’s game. They’re both available and will start as part of a massive Rockets lineup. This is the second consecutive game that head coach Ime Udoka has gone with this lineup, first doing so in Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers.
Source: Bennett Durando
HOU • • #
4 months ago
Smith was initially questionable for Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers, but he started and played 31 minutes. If he can play against the Nuggets, the Rockets forward will be in line for a similar workload. If Smith can’t play, Reed Sheppard becomes a player of greater importance despite not playing the same position.
Source: NBA Injury Report