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Reunited with “Terror Twin” Tari Eason, Thompson finished a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line on Sunday. If there’s something to watch, especially as Eason’s minutes increase, it’s how his return will affect Thompson defensively. Combined, those two can wreak havoc defensively, which may boost the fantasy values of both if it leads to increased steals and blocks. Over the last two weeks, Thompson has been a third-round player in eight-cat formats, so it isn’t like he was struggling with Eason on the sidelines.

One day removed from scoring eight points in his least productive game of the season, Şengün got back on track in Sacramento. He’s now scored at least 28 points in eight games, one more than his tally during the entire 2024-25 campaign. Over the last two weeks, Şengün has been a top-25 player in eight-cat formats, which aligns with his season-long value. The Rockets open a three-game Week 10 on Tuesday against the Clippers.

Making his first appearance since November 14, Eason was under a minutes restriction on Sunday. However, the production in limited time on the floor was highly encouraging. Eason shot 75 percent from the field and made all three of his three-point attempts. For the season, he’s making nearly 51 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts. That’s a far cry from Eason’s career percentage (36.4), so it’s fair to question if he can continue to shoot the ball that well. However, there’s no denying that Eason has improved in that area, and it raises his fantasy ceiling once his minutes increase. He’s rostered in 26 percent of Yahoo! leagues; it won’t be long until Eason is once again trustworthy in 12-team formats.

While Sunday’s result was disappointing for Durant and the Rockets, as they appeared to hold a commanding fourth-quarter lead, he did make some history. Not only did he move into tenth place on the career made field goals list, passing Hakeem Olajuwon, but KD became the sixth player to record at least 30,000 points and 6,000 assists in a career. Durant finished Sunday’s loss two assists shy of a triple-double, and he has been a top-10 player in eight-cat formats over the last two weeks. Houston plays three games in Week 10, starting with the Clippers on Tuesday.

Absent from the most recent Rockets’ injury report, Adams will take his customary night off with Sunday’s game being the second in as many nights. That means there should be more playing time available to Clint Capela, but there’s no need to stream him.

Eason will be available to play in a game for the first time since November 14, giving the Rockets additional depth at the forward spots. While he may not be immediately valuable to fantasy managers, Eason’s presence in the lineup likely means fewer minutes for Josh Okogie and Jabari Smith Jr.

Enjoying one of the most consistently productive stretches of his NBA career, Smith has recorded a double-double in four straight games. He also recorded his fifth 20-point game on Saturday, and over the last two weeks, Smith has provided sixth-round value in eight-cat formats. If there’s a concern, it’s the turnovers. Smith committed four on Saturday and is averaging 3.5 per game over the last two weeks.

Of the 29 points scored by the Rockets’ reserves on Saturday, Sheppard was responsible for 28 of them. The second-year guard had one of his best games of the season in Denver, with his complete stat line on Saturday including six three-pointers and five “stocks.” While there was optimism in some fantasy circles before the season began, few expected Sheppard to be a top-75 player in eight-cat formats. He’s rostered in 39 percent of Yahoo! leagues, which may be low despite Sheppard still coming off the bench.

At risk of losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Nuggets, Durant and the Rockets took care of business on Saturday. KD was efficient offensively, shooting over 50 percent from the field, and his final stat line was only missing a steal. For the season, Durant is providing top-25 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats, as expected. And the Rockets aren’t done with Week 9, as they visit the Kings on Sunday in the fourth game of a six-game road trip.

Eason was questionable ahead of Houston’s last game, but he has been ruled out immediately for this one. It’s the first of a back-to-back, so there is a chance he suits up for the first time since Nov. 14 against the Kings on Sunday.