HOU 119, PHX 105: Thompson Demolishes Fantasy Leagues With 61 ESPN FP
Tyler Okonkwo
Student & Retail Associate ยท Houston Rockets fan
Rockets Wire: Amen Thompson Goes Supernova, Sengun Rebounds Saves PHX Collapse
Houston 119, Phoenix 105
Let's get straight to it. The Rockets just walked into Phoenix and cooked the Suns in a way that matters for your fantasy lineup. This wasn't close late, and it showed us exactly who's trustworthy in the next couple weeks.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amen Thompson | 61.0 | 55.2 | 22/11/8 | 17.9/7.8/5.3 | +4.1 |
| Devin Booker | 44.0 | 44.8 | 31/4/8 | 25.8/3.9/6.0 | +5.2 |
| Mark Williams | 43.0 | 37.6 | 19/8/0 | 11.6/8.0/1.0 | +7.4 |
| Alperen Sengun | 21.0 | 31.8 | 12/14/6 | 20.6/8.8/6.2 | -8.6 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 31.0 | 31.7 | 20/6/1 | 15.7/6.9/1.9 | +4.3 |
| Tari Eason | 36.0 | 31.4 | 12/7/2 | 10.4/6.3/1.5 | +1.6 |
| Kevin Durant | 31.0 | 31.3 | 24/4/3 | 25.9/5.4/4.8 | -1.9 |
| Jalen Green | 20.0 | 26.1 | 15/3/1 | 18.4/3.7/3.0 | -3.4 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 29.0 | 23.8 | 11/4/2 | 8.7/4.9/2.2 | +2.3 |
| Reed Sheppard | 24.0 | 21.5 | 12/5/1 | 13.6/2.9/3.4 | -1.6 |
AMEN THOMPSON IS YOUR LEAGUE-WINNER
I'm gonna say it straight: Amen Thompson just put on a clinic. 55.2 Yahoo points. That's elite wing production, and he did it on efficient shooting (10-16 FG) while handling multiple responsibilities. 22 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists as a guard, three steals. This is +4.1 above his season average, which matters because it means he's not having a fluke night, he's trending upward.
Here's what matters for your roster decisions: Thompson is only at 43.2% ESPN ownership. That's criminally low for a player who's putting up 55+ point games. If he's sitting on your waiver wire, he needs to be owned. If you're playing in a league where he's available, pull the trigger now. The Rockets are using him everywhere on offense, and defensively he's becoming a secondary playmaker. That's 2025-26 season validation right there.
THE SENGUN REBOUND STORY (LITERALLY)
Alperen Sengun put up weird numbers: 12 points on 5-15 shooting, but he grabbed 14 rebounds and dropped 6 assists. Yahoo has him at 31.8 points, which is actually solid considering his scoring line looked rough. ESPN's got him at 21 because the platform weights shooting efficiency harder, which tells you something.
The real story is the rebounding. That's +5.2 above his season average on the boards. Sengun's been frustrating fantasy owners with inconsistent scoring, but this game showed his role is more about floor spacing, passes, and controlling the paint. He's not your first option in scoring formats, but in category leagues or deeper Yahoo scoring, he's got more value than his 20 PPG scoring average suggests. The Suns' frontcourt couldn't match his physicality tonight.
BOOKING BOOKER ISN'T ENOUGH
Devin Booker went off for 31 points on 15-16 from the free throw line. That's the Kevin Durant-era Phoenix basketball: gunning for volume and hitting freebies. He's +5.2 above his season scoring average, so he had a legit great night. But here's the thing that kills fantasy here, he only grabbed 4 boards and 8 assists. That's below season average in both categories.
When Book gets you 44-45 fantasy points on this volume, you win your matchup. When he gets them on low-efficiency shooting nights, it hurts more than it helps. He's All-NBA Second Team for a reason, but fantasy-wise, he's a buy-high candidate right now if someone's panicking after this loss. The Suns will bounce back.
KD'S A SECONDARY CONCERN IN PHX'S OFFENSE
Kevin Durant scored 24, but it came on 8-20 shooting. He's 31.3 Yahoo points, which sounds nice until you remember his season average is 25.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG. Tonight he was -1.9 on scoring, -1.4 on boards, -1.8 on assists. Not a good look for a third All-NBA team selection. When the Suns lose, KD's typically not the reason, but he also doesn't carry the load the way you'd want from someone his caliber.
JABARI SMITH'S VOLUME GAME HITS DIFFERENT
Jabari Smith Jr. is your example of efficiency over volume mattering. 6-18 shooting is rough, but he splashed 5 threes and went 3-3 from the line. That's 31.7 Yahoo points on a 38-minute shift. He's +4.3 above season scoring average despite the FG%. This is the type of game that reminds you Smith's value comes from three-point volume and free throw rate, not FG%. As a fantasy owner, you're buying high-variance nights. Tonight was a win.
THE DEPTH GAME-CHANGER: TARI EASON
Tari Eason is getting 31 minutes and put up 31.4 Yahoo points on efficient shooting (5-7 FG). Three steals. 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists. That's a stat sheet stuffer who's becoming a real fantasy asset, not just a deep league flyer. He's outperforming his season average pretty consistently, and the Rockets are trusting him in crunch time. If he's available in your league, this is your reminder that he's earned real minutes and opportunity.
WHAT CHANGED FOR PHOENIX
Jalen Green (20.0 ESPN / 26.1 Yahoo) and Jordan Goodwin (29.0 ESPN / 23.8 Yahoo) are bench scoring that didn't translate to a win. Green went 5-14, which is -3.4 from his season average. Goodwin hit threes off the bench, but 11 points in 25 minutes off the Suns bench isn't going to carry you to a W against a Houston team playing connected. Mark Williams had the best individual game for PHX (37.6 Yahoo points), absolutely torching his season average (+7.4 on scoring), but one big man going off doesn't beat an entire Rockets rotation humming.
Grayson Allen got added 0.1% in ESPN ownership, which is funny because he had 17.8 Yahoo points on 1-4 shooting. That's the "made free throws and got lucky" game. Don't chase it.
OWNERSHIP MOVES TO WATCH
Grayson Allen is creeping up ownership-wise, and I'd actually pump the brakes. One solid bench night doesn't turn a 43.2% owned role into a must-own. Stay patient.
Steven Adams is dropping out of lineups (down -0.0%, but at 1.6% owned, there's nowhere to go), and honestly, that makes sense. He didn't play tonight and isn't getting the minutes lately. If he's your last bench guy, move on.
Reed Sheppard (21.5 Yahoo points) got meaningful minutes as a guard and showed why he's got upside in this Rockets system. Only 21 minutes though, so don't get crazy. He's a watch-and-wait, not a pickup right now.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Rockets showed up. Amen Thompson is your absolute must-own if available. Sengun's rebounding floor gives him more safety than his scoring line suggests. Phoenix's role guys like Green and Goodwin can't carry the load. This is a win that validates Houston's roster construction heading into the playoff push, and fantasy-wise, it means Rockets players are getting safer volume and touches. Load up accordingly.