Cam

Whitmore

Whitmore missed Monday’s game against Boston, but he’ll be back in the lineup for this one. Tari Eason (leg) is sitting out the second night of this back-to-back, so there should be extra minutes for Whitmore.

Whitmore did not play in Monday’s win over Boston, with his absence freeing up rotation minutes for Aaron Holiday. With Tari Eason (leg) already ruled out, Holiday and Jae’Sean Tate will have added value if Whitmore misses a second straight game. However, neither would qualify as a must-stream.

Whitmore played just 10 minutes against the Cavaliers Saturday and none in the second half as he dealt with an illness. Without the 20-year-old small forward, Jae’Sean Tate and Amen Thompson saw more minutes. Whitmore’s absence Monday is more important to Thompson, who is already rostered in most fantasy leagues.

Whitmore played 10 first-half minutes during Saturday’s win over Cleveland and did not return after halftime. His absence freed up a few more minutes for fellow reserve Jae’Sean Tate, but it also (more importantly) led to starter Amen Thompson playing 41 minutes. Tate won’t be worth streaming if Whitmore plays, while Thompson is already rostered in most leagues.

After Saturday’s win over Cleveland, Rockets coach Ime Udoka revealed that Whitmore did not play in the second half due to an illness. The second-year forward played 10 minutes, finishing with two points, one rebound, and one assist. Whitmore’s absence led to starter Amen Thompson playing more, with the second-year wing logging 41 minutes and finishing with his second career triple-double. Houston visits Boston on Monday, and fellow reserve Jae’Sean Tate may have to pick up a few minutes if Whitmore remains out.

Houston received solid contributions from Whitmore and Tari Eason (12/2/6/3 with three 3-pointers) in Wednesday’s victory. Whitmore has reached double figures in five of his last six outings, and he’s provided 13th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Eason, a 7th-round player over the past two weeks, remains the superior fantasy option, but Whitmore has made strides and is worth a look in deep leagues while Jabari Smith Jr. is out.

After missing their last 13 games with a leg injury, Eason was available to play a limited role in this game. He wasn’t able to have a productive night, but it was great to see him back on the floor. He scored all 16 of his points in the second half and almost helped the Rockets complete the comeback after being down 16 points. He was limited to 24 minutes, but with Fred VanVleet (personal) sidelined, Cam Whitmore was also able to play 23 minutes. Houston will wrap up the week in Portland on Saturday, so keep an eye on the minutes allocation for both backup forward if VanVleet is back.

Eason will be back in the lineup after missing about a month, and Ime Udoka said that he will likely play 20-25 minutes in this game. Cam Whitmore will lose out on some minutes with Eason back.

Eason has been sidelined for a little over a month, and he has been listed as doubtful ahead of their last handful of games. Being upgraded to questionable is a step in the right direction, and even if he doesn’t play in this game, he’s getting closer to a return. When that happens, Cam Whitmore will likely take a hit in minutes.

With Tari Eason (leg) out again Wednesday, it was no surprise that Whitmore was involved once again. The 20-year-old small forward played 24 minutes off the bench. Whitmore impacted the game with 16 points on 11 shots and nine rebounds. He’s been efficient enough to provide fantasy value while only playing around 20 minutes per game with Eason out.