Houston Rockets
Team Outlook
The Houston Rockets should be a team that offers plenty of fantasy options for this upcoming season, led by superstar James Harden who shapes up to be a top-5 fantasy performer this season. The biggest story for the Rockets this offseason is the addition of coach Mike D’Antoni. Known for his fast-paced, high scoring teams, D’Antoni is a DFS player’s dream to have as a coach as his offensive players have been known to flourish. The Rockets were ranked T-5th in offensive possessions per game last season, and that ranking should at least hold if not improve in 2016. Your primary target on a nightly basis will be James Harden here of course but look to a few other guys such as new power forward Ryan Anderson or even center Clint Capela for some value throughout the season.
Projected Starting Lineup
Point Guard: Patrick Beverley
Patrick Beverley will be a guy who falls under the radar, usually for good reason, this fantasy season. In an offense dominated by James Harden, Beverley just does not have many opportunities to contribute in any one stat category. He is known as more of a defensive specialist than anything, which is not what you are looking for at the point guard position for fantasy value.
Shooting Guard: James Harden
As the hands down top Shooting Guard in the league, James Harden enters this season with some huge upside playing under the Mike D’Antoni offense. Harden already averaged 29 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game last season, and with the added spacing and pace that will come from D’Antoni’s offensive scheme, Harden could increase his stats in each and every one of those categories. D’Antoni has already alluded to running more of the offense through Harden, which could very well give him upside that can rival Russell Westbrook as the #1 overall DFS performer this season. Harden will be the top priced shooting guard each and every week, so keep an eye on the Hoopsguys analysis to know when it makes sense to pay up for him this season.
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza is a guy who can put up consistent stats in multiple categories but may not give you many huge nights with James Harden dominating the touches. Ariza should be limited on points per game, but can easily account for a couple of steals, assists, and five rebounds per game to provide you with a decent floor. Ariza will get very consistent minutes (averaged 35-36 per game in Houston), but should not have a large enough ceiling to be playable unless the price is right.
Power Forward: Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson signed for big money with the Rockets this offseason and should immediately contribute as a perimeter shooter that gives James Harden some space to operate. Anderson loves to shoot the 3-pointer, averaging 2.0 3-pointers made per game each year since 2010. While a career-low 38.5% of his shots last season were from beyond the arch, look for Anderson to be firing away with opposing defenses having to worry about James Harden taking it to the rim, leading Anderson wide open on the perimeter. Anderson should be a solid GPP target this season.
Center: Clint Capela
With the loss of Dwight Howard, the Center position was left up for grabs this offseason with 22-year old Clint Capela primed to step up. Capela averaged just over 19 minutes per game coming off the bench for the Rockets last season, so he will be expected to step up big this season to the tune of nearly 30 minutes per game. There is the threat of Nene Hilario coming in off the bench, but Nene is now going on 35 years old and will be fairly limited on minutes. There are a lot of unknowns regarding how Clint Capela will respond to the uptick in minutes, but Clint Capela is a guy you should be able to count on for plenty of rebounds and blocks on a nightly basis. His Achilles heel will be efficiency at the foul line, as Capela has struggled like many big men do, making only 37.9% of his free throw attempts last season.
Key Bench Players
Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon comes to the Rockets this season after spending the last 5 seasons with the Pelicans. Gordon will be the primary backup to James Harden at shooting guard this year and is being touted by Rockets management as a “super sub off the bench”. The Rockets are expected to use a rotation in the back-court involving a mix of Patrick Beverley, James Harden, and Eric Gordon handling the ball. Gordon actually could see regular minutes nearing 30 per game, which would certainly make him stand out at on a nightly basis. Gordon’s real value will certainly be dependent on both injuries and matchup though as the season progresses.
Nene Hilario
Nene is a new addition to the Rockets and should get significant minutes off the bench to relieve young starting center Clint Capela. Nene averaged 19.2 minutes and 4.5 rebounds per game last season with Washington and played very well for his native country Brazil in the Olympics. Rockets Coach Mike D’Antoni hints that there is a chance for Nene to get the starting not, so however, unlikely this may be, keep an eye on the situation as Nene could present some value if ever starting.
Key Offseason Acquisitions
Ryan Anderson- As we mentioned above, Anderson will add another dimension to this offense, making opposing defenses think twice about putting all their eggs in the Harden basket for fear of Anderson’s talent from beyond the arch.
Eric Gordon- See above. Gordon should be a solid option for regular minutes coming off the bench in what should be a super-paced offense in Houston this season.
Key Offseason Departures
Dwight Howard- The departure of Dwight Howard to Atlanta could actually be a blessing in disguise for the Rockets, as it was clear that the chemistry was just not there. While they will definitely lose a dominating presence in the paint as Howard was the seventh highest fantasy scoring center, there will be more opportunities for Harden now in addition to the chance to find some value at the position for the Rockets.
