While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.
In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.
Today, we’re looking at a team that overachieved thanks to a deep and talented young roster.
Houston Rockets 2024-2025 Season Recap
Record: 52-30 (2nd, West)
Offensive Rating: 114.9 (12th)
Defensive Rating: 110.3 (5th)
Net Rating: 4.6 (7th)
Pace: 99.03 (18th)
2025 NBA Draft Picks: 10th pick, 59th pick
The Rockets exceeded expectations with a 52-win season and the No. 2 seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun continued to play well, while Amen Thompson had a breakout campaign and looks like a franchise cornerstone.
Houston played strong defense thanks to length, speed and athleticism up and down the roster, and the Rockets boasted a top-12 offense led by Thompson and Fred VanVleet as primary facilitators.
Houston’s depth and a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft point to the team making a bid for a superstar this summer, and the Rockets’ offseason moves could dramatically reshape the roster.
Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26.
Fantasy Standout: Amen Thompson
Sophomore slump? Never heard of it. The second-year man took a major leap in Year 2, showcasing his ability to operate as a point forward and make a major impact on the defensive end of the floor.
Thompson averaged career highs across the board with 14.1 points, 8.2 boards, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.3 blocks and just 2.0 turnovers while shooting 55.7% from the floor. His 68.4% mark from the charity stripe and just 0.4 triples per game were the only blemishes on an otherwise pristine fantasy season.
As a pass-first forward and elite defender, Thompson has a unique skillset that lends itself well to the world of fantasy hoops. He recorded double-digit assists four times and double-digit boards 24 times. He racked up 20 double-doubles and three triple-doubles along the way.
Thompson set new single-game marks with 33 points against the Celtics on January 27, 16 rebounds (twice) against the Lakers on January 5 and the Cavs on January 22, 11 assists three times, and seven steals against the Heat on March 21.
The athletic young forward finished his second season ranked 55th in per-game fantasy value, tops on his team. He’ll turn 23 next season, and his best basketball is certainly in front of him. If Houston moves on from Fred VanVleet in the offseason, Thompson could see more run as a facilitator, only sweetening his fantasy appeal.
Thompson is an easy mid-round selection in 2025-26 fantasy drafts, and he could easily blow past his ADP and finish inside the top 25.
Fantasy Revelation: Tari Eason
Eason enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year career, averaging 12 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.9 blocks, 1.1 triples and 1.1 turnovers across 24.9 minutes per game. He shot 48.7% from the floor and 76% from the charity stripe.
After appearing in just 22 games a season ago due to injuries, Eason logged 57 games in 2024-25. He started 16 and fared well in those contests, going for 5.1 points, 6.8 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 triples.
The LSU product recorded a career-best six swipes on November 20 against the Pacers, and he dropped a career-high 30 points against the Mavericks on March 14.
Eason boasts elite athleticism and defense, and he can score effectively when given the chance. The only thing holding him back from being a regular mid-round fantasy option is playing time. If he can earn more minutes in the Rockets’ rotation in 2025-26, he can be a quality contributor.
Fantasy Disappointment: Fred VanVleet
Though VanVleet finished 67th in per-game fantasy value, it was a disappointing finish considering he finished in the top 25 in five straight seasons and inside the top 20 in four straight.
FVV averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.7 triples while committing just 1.5 turnovers. VanVleet knocked down 37.8% of his shots from the field, 81% of his shots from the charity stripe and 34.5% of his three-point attempts. The field goal percentage was the second-lowest mark of his career, and the free throw percentage was the lowest.
VanVleet appeared in 60 games and logged 35.7 minutes per game. The minutes, points, assists and rebounds were his lowest marks since the 2018-19 season when he was with Toronto.
Set to make $44.89 million in 2025-26, VanVleet could be included in any trade package that Houston sends for a superstar to match contracts.
Bill Simmons floated the idea of Houston trading VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and the No. 10 pick for Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday. It’s a wild proposal, but this is just an idea of the type of deal we might see VanVleet included in this summer.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Alperen Sengun:
Sengun continued his run as “Domantas Sabonis Lite,” finishing with averages of 19.1 points, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, 0.3 triples and a career-high 10.3 boards. The big man shot 49.6% from the floor, 69.2% from the free throw line and 23.3% from downtown.
Houston’s point center logged a career-high 76 games while his playing time slipped from 32.5 minutes last season to 31.5 this season. His fantasy finish of 88th in per-game value was his lowest in three campaigns, though not too far off of his best.
The highlights of his season came on February 4 against Brooklyn when he dropped 24/20 and on December 27 against Minnesota when he finished with 38/12/1/1.
Sengun should continue to thrive as a mid-to-late-round fantasy center with triple-double upside. Target him in that range in 2025-26 drafts.
Jalen Green:
Green finished his fourth NBA season with averages of 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.9 triples. His 42.3/81.3/35.4 shooting splits left much to be desired, but his marks from the charity stripe and from distance were the best of his career.
Green finished 135th in per-game fantasy value, the best finish of his career. He showcased his durability with a second straight 82-game campaign.
Despite a strong regular season, Green struggled mightily in the postseason, going for 13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 triples while shooting 37.2% from the floor, 66.7% from the charity stripe and 29.5% from beyond the arc.
Green signed a three-year extension with Houston in October, and he’s likely to be back in a similar role in 2025-26 as the Rockets’ starting two guard. He’s worth a look in the later rounds of fantasy drafts, and he’s got room to grow if he can improve his efficiency.
Jabari Smith Jr.:
Last season wasn’t great to Smith Jr., as he saw his minutes fall slightly to start the campaign and then dry up in the playoffs.
The third-year man finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.7 blocks – all career lows. He shot 43.8% from the floor, 82.5% from the charity stripe and 35.4% from beyond the arc, while knocking down 1.7 triples per game.
Injuries limited JSJ to a career-low 57 games. He started just 39 of those after starting every one of his appearances across the last two seasons.
In the seven-game series against Golden State, he averaged just 20.4 minutes and didn’t start a single game. Heading into the final year of his contract, the 22-year-old could be an attractive trade piece in a deal to secure Giannis Antetokounmpo. A change of scenery could do wonders for Smith Jr.’s fantasy appeal.
Dillon Brooks:
Brooks finished his second season in Houston with averages of 14.1 points, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and career highs in rebounds (3.7) and triples (2.5). He shot 42.9% from the floor (second-best mark of his career), 81.8% from the charity stripe and a career-best 39.7% from beyond the arc.
Brooks operated as a 3-and-D option for the second-place Rockets, attempting a career-high 6.3 triples per game and acting as a nuisance on the defensive end.
He scored 36 points on January 27 against the Celtics, dropping his most points in over three years and finishing just one point shy of his career high. In that game, Brooks stroked a career-high 10 three-pointers.
Brooks finished 170th in per-game fantasy hoops value, as he offers little outside of scoring and triples. Fantasy managers looking at him in 2025-26 drafts can target him with a final pick if production in those categories is needed.
Cam Whitmore:
The second-year man saw his playing time fall from 18.7 minutes as a rookie to 16.2 in 2024-25. He posted 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 triples per game across 51 outings.
Whitmore started three games and averaged a 25/8/2/1 line with four triples. The highlight of his season came on April 11 against the Lakers when he went off for 34/8/1/1/1 with seven triples.
The young forward is set to turn 21 over the summer, and he’s got a bright future if he can carve out a more meaningful role in Houston’s rotation.
Reed Sheppard:
The No. 3 pick out of Kentucky played a muted role in his inaugural campaign, logging 12.6 minutes per game across 52 appearances.
Sheppard averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 triples while shooting 35.1% from the floor and 81.3% from the charity stripe.
Sheppard played well in three starts, with averages of 19.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.3 triples. He dropped a career-high 25 points at Oklahoma City on March 3.
Sheppard can be a solid contributor if given significant minutes, but meaningful playing time may be hard to come by in 2025-26 due to Houston’s deep backcourt rotation.
Steven Adams:
Adams saw a dramatic cut in playing time during the 2024-25 campaign, logging just 13.9 minutes per game and averaging 3.9 points and 5.7 boards.
The big man made his presence known with additional minutes in three starts, posting 10 points 9.7 boards, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks across 23.7 minutes.
Adams had a solid postseason, and perhaps he was auditioning for his next team. He’s set to hit the open market this offseason, and he’ll surely have no problem finding a new team should he choose to leave H-Town.
Restricted Free Agents: Jack McVeigh, N’Faly Dante, David Roddy
Unrestricted Free Agents: Jeff Green, Jae’Sean Tate, Steven Adams
Club Option: Fred VanVleet, Aaron Holiday
Player Option: None
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