Jalen

Green

Sengun led his team in scoring and assists and finished with a +15 while on the court. He shot an efficient 11-of-14 from the floor and made meaningful contributions in multiple categories. Sengun was one of three starters to score 20 points, along with Amen Thompson (21) and Tari Eason (20), and the trio picked up the slack for Jalen Green, who finished with just nine points on 10 shot attempts.

Green had an excellent run in the second half of last season, and he has started up another one since the All-Star break. Green has scored at least 20 points in Houston’s five games since the break and has averaged 4.6 three-pointer per game during that stretch. Most of Green’s value in nine-cat leagues has come from points and triples, but he has been able to provide a little bit in other categories. Houston starts next week against the Thunder on Monday. Green has averaged 10.5 points per game in their two matchups this season.

Green added another 20-point game to his tally, extending his run to 11 such stat lines in his last 14 outings. Fantasy managers will also benefit from the rebound and assist totals in Wednesday’s victory, but the continued lack of defensive production limits Green’s ceiling in category leagues. Over the past month, he has provided 11th-round value in eight-cat formats. He remains a better player to have rostered in points leagues than category leagues due to the efficiency, even if that wasn’t a problem against the Spurs.

Green has shot 50 percent or better from the field in just two of his last 11 outings, which is unsurprising for a player who hasn’t been the most efficient shooter as a pro. However, he continues to pour in the points, contributing 20 or more in 10 of his last 13. Since January 28, Green has averaged 23 points per game, but the percentages (42.2 percent from the field, 68 percent from the foul line) have weighed down his eight-cat fantasy value (12th-round). Green having his issues from the field isn’t a surprise, but he’s a career 80 percent shooter from the line.

One night removed from scoring 35 points on 50 percent shooting, Green’s efficiency slipped on Saturday. The good news for fantasy managers is that he recorded a points/assists double-double against the Jazz, with the 10 assists being a season-high. Like Alperen Sengun, poor percentages have recently limited Green’s fantasy value, as he shot 41.4 percent from the field and 59.5 percent from the foul line over the past three weeks. Green remains a top 100 player in eight-cat formats for the season, but fantasy managers heading into the playoffs need him to boost those percentages.

After shooting 36 percent from the field in his final three games before the All-Star break, Green got the post-break portion of the schedule off to an excellent start. The 35 points are the most he’s scored in a game since January 13, when the Rockets guard went off for 42 in a win over the Grizzlies. Green has been a top 100 player in eight-cat formats, as the turnovers (2.9 per game) are removed from the equation. The shooting efficiency can still be problematic, but that was not the case on Friday.

VanVleet has been out since he suffered an ankle injury on February 1 against the Nets. The 30-year-old point guard was said to be on track to return after the All-Star break, but his questionable listing gives him a legitimate chance of missing Friday’s game. Amen Thompson and Jalen Green would continue to benefit from VanVleet’s absence in fantasy basketball if VanVleet were to miss another game.

Green continues to be one of the streakiest players in the league, but he has consistently been able to score for Houston this season. He has scored at least 20 points in six of their last seven games, and while that streak stayed alive on Saturday, it wasn’t enough to end the team’s losing streak. The Rockets have now dropped six games in a row, though they are still in 4th place in the West. This was the first night of a back-to-back, and they will look to get back on track against Toronto on Sunday.

Green, who shot 9-of-22 from the field for the second straight game, led the way offensively for the Rockets on Thursday. However, while the field goal percentage has rarely been his strength, turnovers have recently been the most significant concern. Averaging 2.9 per game, Green is ranked outside the top 175 in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. He only committed one on Thursday; fantasy managers need this to become the norm for Green if he’s to be more valuable in category leagues than he currently is.

Green has scored at least 21 points in four straight and five of his last six games. However, efficiency remains an issue for the fourth-year guard. On Monday, Green shot 1-of-8 from three, but the more significant problem was the turnover count. He was responsible for six against the Knicks, one shy of his season-high. The good news is that Green has committed four or more turnovers in just 12 of his 49 games; this hasn’t been the problem area for him on most nights, but field goal percentage has. Green will look to bounce back when the Rockets visit the Nets on Tuesday.