Houston Rockets DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (back) won't play on Sunday against the Celtics. He's battling lower back tightness. But he logged 34 minutes in Saturday's overtime victory over the Utah Jazz, so the team is likely playing it safe on the second night of consecutive outings. With Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) also out, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun should be the team's primary scoring options. However, there's room for Dillon Brooks, Aaron Holiday, and Jae'Sean Tate to get more involved.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) won't play on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. The 20-year-old logged 41 minutes in Saturday's overtime win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds. However, Smith tweaked his left ankle during the extra quarter, although he downplayed the severity of the ailment. At any rate, it's possible the Rockets could be without him for at least a few more games. Houston also won't have Fred VanVleet, so Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun could benefit significantly on the scoring end. In addition, Aaron Holiday and Jae'Sean Tate could see more streaming interest from fantasy managers, considering both men will likely enter the starting lineup versus Boston.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) will miss a 10th consecutive game on Saturday against Utah. He was ruled out for one-to-two weeks on Jan. 10 but still isn't game-ready. The team is trying to manage a left lower leg injury with him, and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said on Friday that he wants Eason to be pain-free when he returns. Eason is one of the top defensive players on the Rockets roster and has averaged close to 22 minutes a night. With him out of the picture, Cam Whitmore has entered the rotation. He's averaging 10.9 points and 3.8 rebounds for the month but has been fairly inconsistent with his performances.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) is set to miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday. Head coach Ime Udoka mentioned that the team is giving Eason time to rest and recover, so he could miss the next week or two. That means, Eason could be looking at another four missed games over the next week. The Rockets are banged up at the forward spot right now. That means, Jae'Sean Tate should continue to see big minutes, but he hasn't really been producing. That being said, Tate won't be anything more than a deep league option for the moment.

Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (leg) will not be available for Wednesday's clash with the Chicago Bulls as the team continues to manage his left lower leg. This is starting to become a bit of a concern, as it's unclear if Eason has suffered a setback or if this treatment is part of Houston's plan of load management after he sustained a stress reaction during the preseason. Though Eason's sporadic absences are certainly frustrating, the 2022 first-rounder was starting to pick up steam before returning to the shelf with averages of 13.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 steals, and 1.0 treys in 26.2 minutes over his last 10 games. Since Dillon Brooks (oblique) remains on the sidelines with Eason, Cam Whitmore, Jeff Green, and Jae'Sean Tate will all be candidates for extended run on Wednesday.