Reed Sheppard ruled out on Friday

VanVleet did not play in Saturday’s win over the Hawks, as it was Houston’s second game in as many nights. His return will bump Reed Sheppard to the bench.

Fred VanVleet (knee) was sidelined for the second leg of Houston’s back-to-back, which allowed Sheppard to get the start. He took full advantage of the opportunity and made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, including some hustle plays that didn’t show up in the box score. He played well, and it resulted in an excellent night in fantasy hoops. Houston’s next back-to-back is next week, so Sheppard should get another start then.

The Rockets are down two guards for Saturday’s game, as Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart will sit out the second half of the back-to-back. As a result, Sheppard moves into the starting lineup, and he’s worth slotting into fantasy lineups. The other four starters are unchanged.

Smart was originally questionable coming into Saturday night’s contest against the Hawks , but was ruled out in the final injury report. His next chance to suit up will come on Monday against the Hawks.

Sheppard missed Friday’s game against the Spurs but will suit up against Atlanta. Fred VanVleet (knee) and Marcus Smart (arm) are both out, so there is a decent chance Sheppard ends up getting the starting nod, which would boost his value significantly.

Sheppard missed Friday’s win over the Spurs after banging his knee in the season opener against the Mavericks. If he’s able to play, Sheppard could see a lot of usage with Fred VanVleet (knee) sitting out.

Sheppard, who logged 16 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Mavericks, is dealing with a bone bruise and contusion in his left knee. The third-year guard is effectively third in the Rockets’ point-guard pecking order behind Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart, which hurts his fantasy value.

Reed Sheppard will still be involved in Houston’s rotation, but Smart - who signed a two-year deal with the Rockets in July - will be the next man up when VanVleet sits out one leg of back-to-back sets. Smart’s fantasy value is largely tied to VanVleet’s availability, giving him little standalone appeal outside of deep leagues.

While Sheppard scored in double figures in five of the six games in this series, his second NBA season ended with a whimper on Friday. The Rockets guard shot 1-of-10 from beyond the arc and converted just three of his nine two-point attempts. And with Kevin Durant (ankle) still out, the Rockets could ill afford to have Sheppard shoot as poorly as he did in Game 6. Fantasy-wise, while Fred VanVleet’s absence did open things up for Sheppard, few managers expected him to provide top-100 value during the regular season. With a healthy VanVleet and Durant in the fold, Sheppard’s ADP (113 this season) is unlikely to receive a boost ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Having suffered a tendon bruise in his knee before the series, Durant has been out since Game 2 due to a bone bruise in his left ankle. His continued absence means another start for Reed Sheppard, while the Rockets will also require more production from Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson. Sheppard played 35 minutes in Wednesday’s Game 5 victory, finishing with 12 points, six assists, three steals and two three-pointers.