Houston Rockets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (back) will miss Saturday's game in Atlanta. The 21-year-old is burdened by a back issue, and he played just 21 minutes in Friday's three-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, he struggled on the scoring end in that one, ending the night with just seven points. It will be Sengun's first absence of the 2023-24 campaign, and he'll now join Fred VanVleet (thigh) on the shelf. With the Rockets down, arguably their two top offensive options, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson should see more scoring chances. But it could open the door for Jeff Green and Cam Whitmore to earn a spot in fantasy lineups.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) remains out for Friday's meeting with the Toronto Raptors. There was hope that Eason could return from his lengthy absence at some point this week after recently returning to basketball activities, but he's still not ready to go and will aim to return on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks in the final outing of Houston's four-game road trip. First-round rookie Cam Whitmore has been the direct fantasy beneficiary of Eason's absence, providing instant offense from the Rockets bench with averages of 13.5 points, 4.1 boards, and 2.0 triples on 40.4% shooting from three-point land in just 19.4 minutes covering his last 22 games. Whitmore's not helping much in fantasy outside of those categories, but he remains a deep-league streamer for points and treys against a Raptors squad that's struggled to defend opposing swingmen this year.

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (groin) has been ruled out ahead of Tuesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. It's being reported that Vanvleet could be sidelined for roughly a week due to this issue. Possibly, the Rockets hold out Vanvleet until the All-Star Break, but they will likely take it as day-to-day. Amen Thompson started in place of Vanvleet when he missed a last game last month. Thompson would be worth a look as a streaming option if he gets another chance in the starting unit.

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (groin) won't play on Tuesday versus the Indiana Pacers. The former Raptor has averaged 16.5 points, 8.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks. But he's now battling a strained left groin, which isn't a good scenario for Houston, a team that hasn't been consistent all year. VanVleet may miss more games moving ahead, including upcoming stops in Toronto and Atlanta. However, until he returns, Aaron Holiday, Amen Thompson, and Jalen Green should see more scoring chances. All three should also get a bump in usage without VanVleet in the equation.

Houston Rockets center Jock Landale (wrist) is available ahead of Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Landale has been cleared to suit up after not playing in the last three games. Landale appears healthy, but he isn't a lock to crack the rotation right now. Alperen Sengun plays a bulk of the minutes with Jabari Smith Jr. being in the mix as well. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore Landale for the moment.