Sacramento Kings vs Houston Rockets
Spread: Rockets -4.5
Total: 233.5
We have a solid matchup to kick off today’s NBA slate with the Kings and Rockets running it back after the two teams faced off on Thursday with the Rockets winning that game 122-to-119. Houston finally took the floor with John Wall , DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon who had missed the first few games of the year due to close contact tracing surrounding Covid-19. John Wall played 37 minutes in his season debut, scoring 22 points with six rebounds and nine assists. James Harden led all scorers with 33 points and Cousins saw himself limited to just 13 minutes off the bench.
The Kings are off to a decent start with De’Aaron Fox leading the charge in this third season. Center Richaun Holmes finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds while veteran wing Harrison Barnes chipped in with a team high 24 points and eight boards.
Pace
Kings: 18th
Rockets: 13th
DVP (Defense vs Position)
Kings: PG - 25th / SG – 8th / SF – 13th/ PF – 20th / C – 22nd
Rockets: PG – 29th / SG – 16th / SF – 3rd / PF – 29th / C – 21st
Key Injuries
Kings
Tyrese Haliburton, PG/SG – OUT
Rockets
James Harden, SG - OUT
Ben McLemore , SG/SF – OUT
Please note that players not listed below do not mean they are a complete fade. All players listed can be used as MVP/Captain.
MVP/CPT
John Wall , PG HOU – I mean, the dude played 37 minutes in his debut and looked every bit the player he was during his time with the Wizards. If Wall is healthy, even if it doesn’t last, he is one of the premier guards in the NBA. De’Aaron Fox is among the worst defenders in the NBA and there is a reason why the Kings rank 25th against the PG position this season. I look for Wall to have another strong performance here.
Eric Gordon , SG/SF HOU – With Harden now ruled out Gordon becomes an elite mvp/cpt option as he moves into the starting lineup. Gordon has solid scoring upside as a starter with all the available usage.
Richaun Holmes , C SAC – This was a James Grande special on Thursday, and he smashed. The Rockets do not defend the center position very well and Cousins is not going add much defense there. Holmes has played over 30-minutes in back-to-back games and gives you double-double upside with blocks and steals.
Mid-Tier
De'Aaron Fox , PG SAC – Fox has been the leader of the Kings for a few seasons now and the production from him continues to be more consistent which is what you love to see from a third-year player. John Wall in his prime was a decent defender due to his length and quickness but Fox has the edge on him here and we saw that in their first matchup, and I have little reason to think that Fox won’t get his way in this game either.
Christian Wood , PF/C HOU – We had to wonder if Wood would see a production drop off with the returning players for the Rockets and we got the immediate answer of NOPE. Wood again dominated over 32 minutes, scoring 21 points with 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. He certainly benefited from Cousins only playing 13 minutes, but Houston would be better served to keep Wood on the floor. He was a prized free agent signing of theirs this offseason and has paid off in spades so far.
Harrison Barnes , SF/PF SAC – Barnes provides a stable level of production while occasionally popping off like we saw two nights ago in this very matchup when he dropped 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Barnes is going to play somewhere around 35-minutes while giving points and rebounds.
Buddy Hield , SG/SF SAC – Hield is already playing a ton of minutes for the Kings but with Tyrese Haliburton not playing there should be even more usage going his way. Better option on DraftKings where you get the bonus for three-point shots. We want to see more Hield at shooting guard than small forward given how well the Rockets can play the wings with House and Tucker.
Dart Throw
Marvin Bagley , PF/C SAC – Bagley is actually a really good player that is stuck on a minutes limit due to his injury history. If he ever gets a chance to be unleashed, he has tremendous upside. He could very well be a contrarian play on this slate given the price and minutes limit but an injury or early foul trouble could give him a nice boost.
DeMarcus Cousins , C HOU – Cousins only played 13 minutes in his season debut off the bench. We expected him to see close to 25-minutes, so this was a bit of a shock. Given the uncertainty surrounding his role he is nothing more than a dart throw today on this slate.
Cory Joseph , PG – With Haliburton ruled out we could very well see Joseph take on a bigger role in today’s offense. He played 23 minutes the other day against the Rockets and dropped 21 fantasy points. He isn’t a high usage player, but he can get some assists and steals. If the shot drops he can easily pay off the price tag. Should be a popular spend downplay today.
Hassan Whiteside , C SAC – Whiteside played just three-minutes against the Rockets. He has fallen out of the rotation but the Kings have also had no reason to play him given the recent performance of Richaun Holmes . Something that has plagued Holmes throughout his career however has been fouls. If the Rockets can manage to get Holmes in early foul trouble then Whiteside could see the floor here today. Nemanja Bjelica would be another spend down worth taking a look at today for similar reasons.