Amen Thompson has been a certified star since the Rockets put him into the starting lineup and let him cook. Injuries cracked the door open and Thompson leapt on through like the Kool-Aid Man, delivering elite fantasy production along the way. He richly rewarded managers who remained patient in the early days of the season and now it’s impossible to imagine the Rockets, let alone a fantasy roster, not featuring Thompson in a significant way. And yet, we’re about to find out one way or another.

Jabari Smith returned from his broken hand on Friday and played 38 minutes, and was in the starting lineup on the second leg of a back-to-back on Saturday. It was Smith’s absence that initially put Thompson in the starting five and Tari Eason sitting out on Saturday made the decision easy for Ime Udoka, but Smith’s involvement right out of the gates could portend trouble.

Luckily, Thompson has another starting spot he can slide into with Fred VanVleet still on the shelf because a right ankle strain. That may be short-lived as well, however, as VanVleet is back practicing with his teammates and was even deemed a game-time decision on Friday. The Rockets can’t afford to dial back too far on Thompson, but at this point his starting spot will hinge on how willing the coaching staff is to shake up the established hierarchy. VanVleet hasn’t had a great season but his skills are a strong fit with the starters, and Smith appears ticketed for big minutes no matter what. Does that mean Dillon Brooks is on the cut line? Could Thompson go back to the second unit (but still play more than the average reserve)?

Thompson has been too good to worry too much, but it is a mild concern for managers who have baked his elite production into their projections going forward. Something’s got to give when you have so much NBA-caliber talent on one roster.

Want to get access to the rest of this game preview Layup Line article? You’ll need to have an NBA FantasyPass membership. Click here to learn more and sign up!
Premium Access Required  

Click here to join us on Discord! And Follow us on Twitter by clicking here!
Join the SportsEthos team by filling out an application by clicking here!