Jabari

Smith

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.