James Harden (PG,SG)

James Harden bounced back nicely after a rough opening night with a 36-point performance to lead the Rockets to a nine-point victory over the Lakers. Harden not only led the team in scoring but also contributed in other areas adding seven rebounds and five assists in his 38 minutes of game action.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was right back to being the normal fantasy monster he is. In classic fashion, he was able to get to the free-throw line 15 times, hitting 11 of them which always helps boost fantasy production. The five assists were a little low but shooting 10-for-19 from the floor and 50 percent from behind the three-point line made up for it.

Category: Game Recaps

James Harden ended the season opener one rebound short of a triple double but it was still not the encore performance to his MVP season of last year that he was looking for as the Houston Rockets got routed by the New Orleans Pelicans 131-112. Harden ended the night with 18 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. He also added some peripheral stats with one block and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden filled up the stat sheet in his 35 minutes on the court but only shot 40 percent from the field and 38 percent from behind the arc. Harden and the Rockets will have better days and he will still be there in the top 10 of fantasy points at the end of the year.

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James Harden struggled all night but managed to score 19 points in the Game 5 win. He shot just 5-of-21 from the field, including 0-11 from three-point range. He added three rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was ice cold in Game 5, logging his second worst outing of the playoffs. His nine free-throw attempts salvaged his stats, but he turned in an overall poor fantasy outing. With a strong possibility of Paul missing Game 6 with a hamstring injury, Harden will be a must play in all fantasy formats as he will likely see 25+ field goal attempts and will handle primary ball handling responsibilities for the entire game.

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James Harden did it all on Tuesday, leading the Rockets with 30 points in the win. He added four rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was hot in the first half, scoring 24 points giving the Rockets a lead at halftime. He struggled with the three-point shot once again, finishing just 3-of-12 from deep. However, his defense gave a nice boost to his fantasy value with three steals and two blocks, and Harden has now recorded a steal in every game this postseason. Harden is a must play in all fantasy formats at home in Game 5.

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James Harden led the Rockets with 27 points in Game 2, hitting 9-of-24 field goal attempts. He added 10 rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden struggled shooting on Wednesday, hitting just 3-of-15 three-pointers. He still managed a double-double and hit all six free-throw attempts, but his three-point shooting will need to improve for the Rockets to take this series. Regardless, Harden is a must play in all fantasy formats.

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James Harden scored 41 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including five three-pointers. He added four rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was the best player on the floor Monday, but the Warriors got the best of Houston. He was in MVP-form once again, knocking down 5-of-9 three-pointers, and scoring at will from everywhere on the court. Harden will need to keep this going and get more support from his teammates for the Rockets to have any chance taking of down the Warriors.

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James Harden scored 18 points on 7-of-22 shooting, while adding four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had his worst performance of the series, but was saved by Chris Paul's heroics as the Rockets defeated the Jazz in five games. He made just 1-of-7 from three-point range, and struggled to do much at all offensively. Harden and the Rockets await the winner of the Warriors and Pelicans in the Conference Finals.

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James Harden scored 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while hitting all seven free-throw attempts. He added 12 assists, four rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden posted his third double-double in the last four games, as the Rockets took a 2-1 series lead. He's been in MVP-form against the Jazz, averaging 33 points, 10 assists, and nearly four threes per game, while hitting 94 percent of free-throw attempts. Harden is back in action on Sunday for Game 4.

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James Harden logged 37 minutes on Sunday, scoring 41 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including 10-of-11 at the charity stripe. He added eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden carried the Rockets to a comfortable Game 1 win, as they were up 25 at half and never looked back. His 41 points were his second most in the playoffs thus far, while recording his most rebounds in a playoff game this year. Harden and the Rockets are back in action on Wednesday for Game 2.

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James Harden logged 38 minutes in the Game 5 series finale Wednesday night. He scored 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while contributing five rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Fantasy Impact: Harden recorded his first double-double of the playoffs as the Rockets cruised to another big win over the Timberwolves. The last two games Harden has shown his MVP-caliber talent, scoring a combined 60 points, with nine three-pointers, 15 assists, and six steals. Harden and the Rockets await the winner of the Thunder-Jazz series.

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James Harden went off for 36 points on 12-of-26 shooting, including five three-pointers. He added four rebounds, three assists, and four steals in the win.

Fantasy Impact: Harden started off slow, missing all seven field goal attempts in the first quarter. However, he turned this around with a scorching 22-point third quarter and hit 12-of-19 shots after the slow start. Despite a series-low three assists, he came through big time on the defensive end with four steals. Harden and the Rockets will look to close out the series at home on Wednesday.

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James Harden shot 9-of-21 across 36 minutes in Game 3. He added seven assists, seven rebounds, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had a much-improved game compared to Game 2, but the Timberwolves still got the best of the Rockets. His three-point shooting bounced back, hitting 3-of-8 from deep. Harden is still looking for his first double-double of this year's playoffs and will look to have another strong performance in a big Game 4.

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James Harden had a horrible shooting performance on Wednesday making just 2-of-18 shots from the field including 1-of-10 from three-point range on his way to 12 points. Yet, the Rockets still blew out the Timberwolves 102-82. Harden chipped in with seven assists, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks to somewhat salvage his fantasy day.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has reached his high point and low point during the first two games of the series with 44 points in Game 1 and 12 points in Game 2. Look for him to finish somewhere in between in Game 3 in Minnesota on Saturday in what should be a closer, more competitive game.

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James Harden dropped 44 points in the Game 1 win over Minnesota. Harden shot 15-of-26, including 7-of-12 from three, while adding four rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was spectacular on Sunday, catching fire late in the game as he scored 25 points in the last 18 minutes. He scored or assisted on an impressive 59 percent of Houston's points in 41 minutes of playing time. Look for another big game from Harden on Wednesday night as the Rockets look to go up two games on the Timberwolves.

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James Harden played 36 minutes on Saturday, scoring 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He added four rebounds, nine assists, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Even with nothing on the line, Harden continues to show up every night. He hit three three-pointers and led the Rockets in points and assists. He's a risky fantasy play in the last two games of the season, but he's been playing well lately.

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James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points on 8-of-19 shooting. He added three rebounds and eight assists in the loss.

Fantasy Impact: Despite the Rockets having nothing to play for after clinching the NBA's best record, Harden turned in a solid fantasy performance. His three-point shooting has been his Achilles heel lately from a fantasy standpoint, knocking down just six from deep over his past five games. If his playing time starts to fade in the last week of the season, you may wish to avoid him for daily contests.

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James Harden (rest) will sit out on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls. (Source: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Bulls are in the tanking process and the Rockets are taking this an opportunity to rest Harden for a game. Eric Gordon and Gerald Green should get an extended run and an increased role.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden is expected to play on Saturday against the Pelicans despite a sore ankle. Harden was listed as probable so this seems like a given that he will play. (Source: Craig Ackerman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Chris Paul out, Harden and Eric Gordon will handle most of the point duties while we should see more Gerald Green and Joe Johnson. Get Harden into your lineups.

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James Harden struggled Thursday night, finishing 4-of-20 from the field. He still managed 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Fantasy Impact: You wouldn't think so based on the final stat line, but Harden had a rough outing against the Pistons. He couldn't get anything to fall, including missing all eight shots from deep, making this his first game the entire season without a made three-pointer. His fantasy night was salvaged with 13 made free-throws and some strong defensive stats. Harden will look to bounce back Sunday night against the Pelicans.

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James Harden hit 9-of-18 field goal attempts and all 14 free throws for 34 points against the Timberwolves. He added four rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had another MVP-caliber performance on Sunday, leading the Rockets with 34 points and 12 assists. He shot the ball well, something he struggled doing the past few games, and recorded his most assists since mid-February. Harden is an elite asset as the fantasy playoffs wrap up over the next few weeks.

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James Harden scored 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting, along with seven assists, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden led the Rockets in scoring as they beat the Clippers on Thursday night. His seven assists were his most in his last four contests. Harden has struggled with the three-pointer in March, hitting just 29 percent of attempts from deep, by far his lowest percentage of any month this season. The Rockets' next game will take place on Saturday night against the Pelicans.

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James Harden scored 28 points along with six rebounds and six assists. He shot 2-of-11 from three-point range and hit all 14 attempts from the free-throw line.

Fantasy Impact: Harden shot poorly on Monday night, but scored half of his points from the free-throw line. Impressively, Harden's line was achieved in just three quarters as the Rockets built a big second half lead and didn't need Harden to play in the fourth. The Rockets will take on the Clippers Thursday night.

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James Harden has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game versus the Mavericks and will play on Monday versus the Spurs. Eric Gordon is the next man up with Joe Johnson and Gerald Green getting more minutes. (Source: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Harden will be back on Monday so nothing to worry about for his owners. Eric Gordon should be started in all leagues while Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza, and Chris Paul are also sold starts in all leagues. Johnson and Green are on the DFS radar.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden is not expected to play and is listed as doubtful for Sunday's game versus the Mavericks with a knee injury. It's a precautionary move by the team as it's the first of a back-to-back set. Harden should be considered probably for Monday against the Spurs. Eric Gordon will start in his place. (Source: TIm MacMahon on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Harden out on Sunday, Eric Gordon is the next man up and should be started in all leagues and formats on Sunday. Chris Paul, Clint Capela, Trevor Ariza, and Joe Johnson are also solid DFS options. We should see more of Gerald Green also making him a punt play in DFS.

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James Harden scored 40 points on an efficient 15-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-8 on three-pointers. He added two rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had one of his best shooting nights in recent memory, but his 40 points couldn't keep the win streak alive in Toronto. His four assists were also the fewest in a game since early December. Harden will look to get the Rockets back in the win column Sunday against Dallas.

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Harden scored 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting, while adding six assists, five rebounds, one block, and four steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden struggled from three-point range on Wednesday, connecting on 3-of-10 attempts. Despite poor shooting from deep, he led the team with 26 points and came up big in the team's 16th straight win. Harden has also recorded at least four steals in four of the past five games, providing elite support in that category. Harden and the Rockets will have a tough matchup Friday night against the Raptors.

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James Harden scored 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field on Tuesday against the Thunder. He added 11 assists, five rebounds, four steals, and a block.

Fantasy Impact: This was a disappointing scoring performance from Harden, though he did chip in nicely with steals and assists production. He remains an obviously elite option throughout the fantasy playoffs despite a down scoring night.

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James Harden scored 41 points on 55 percent shooting from the field during Houston's 119-114 win over the Nuggets on Sunday. Harden added eight rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 37 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: After a brutal 12-point performance a couple games ago, Harden has combined for 71 points in his past two contests. We know Harden can get hot and go off like this, but his averages in the rest of the categories this month—8.5 dimes, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks—make it so his scoring is just the cherry on top. The Beard has also been averaging 31.0 points per game this month on 44 percent shooting.

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James Harden scored a team-high 31 points despite hitting just 8-for-24 shots from the field and 3-of-10 from three-point range. His perfect 12-of-12 from the line saved his scoring output while he added nine assists, two rebounds and a pair of steals during the Rockets 120-102 win over the Timberwolves.

Fantasy Impact: Not the best shooting performance from Harden but his ability to get to the line allows him to maintain a high floor even when his shot is off. The addition of Chris Paul has certainly not hurt Harden's scoring production as his 31.3 points per game marks a career-high. The impact of Paul shows up in his assist numbers which are down from 11.2 last season to 9.0 this year. Harden remains one of the top fantasy options in season-long and DFS.

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James Harden scored 28 points on 7-for-19 shooting from the field and 9-for-11 shooting from the free-throw line on Wednesday against the Kings. He also added nine assists, nine rebounds, two steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Everything about Harden's line was exceptional Wednesday outside of his field goal percentage. This is now the second time in his past five games that he has shot under 40% from the field. That said, he contributes across all other categories so it's difficult to complain about his production.

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James Harden shot 6-for-19 from the field on Sunday against the Mavericks and 11-for-12 from the free throw line to total 27 points. He also added six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: It was a relatively poor night from Harden as he made a major negative dent in his owners' field goal percentage. However, he remains one of the top fantasy options, so there is no need to panic about his performance on Sunday night.

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James Harden scored 36 points, hit four three-pointers and made all 10 of his free throws in Tuesday's win, adding four rebounds, five assists and a block to his line in 34 minutes of a 10-point win over the Nets.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to contribute in nearly every statistical category and is probably the favorite for MVP at this point in the season. Needless to say, Harden might be the most valuable commodity in fantasy, DFS or season-long.

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James Harden struggled with his shot on Saturday versus the Cavaliers but it was a blowout win 120-88. Harden finished with 16 points on just 5-for-16 shooting and 1-of-11 from three. Harden added nine assists, six boards, and two steals but four turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is the man and chalk this one up to a poor shooting night. Harden gets the Nets next who allow the most fantasy points to everyone in the NBA.

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James Harden scored 60 points on 19-for-30 shooting from the field and 17-for-18 shooting from the free-throw line on Tuesday against the Magic. He also added 11 assists, 10 boards, and four steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: This was the first time in NBA history that a player has recorded both 60 points while also posting a triple-double. The performance is just one more example of Harden's dominance this season, both on the court and for fantasy owners. Those who were at all concerned about a potential lingering injury can now be at ease.

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James Harden scored 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including six made three-pointers on Wednesday against the Mavericks. He also added 13 assists, five rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has yet to put up an explosive scoring night in his three games since returning from injury, however, that wasn't necessary Wednesday given the Rockets comfortable win. Instead, he provided in his role as facilitator, coming through with 13 assists for fantasy owners. That said, he is clearly on the right track in recovering from his injury and remains one of the best fantasy options for the remainder of the season.

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James Harden shot just 3-for-15 from the field and totaled 10 points against the Timberwolves in his first game action since December 31st. He did also add seven assists, two blocks, two steals, and two rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: The return wasn't ideal for Harden and fantasy owners, but there is little reason to panic. He was one of the best fantasy assets prior to his injury, and there is next to no chance he will shoot 20% from the field the rest of the season.

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James Harden is good to go on Thursday versus the Wolves after missing the last seven games with a hamstring injury. (Source: Mark Berman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Harden back, Eric Gordon moves to the bench with Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green out, Gordon is a must-start. Harden should be active in all leagues even against the tough Wolves defense.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden could rejoin the Rockets as early as Thursday. Harden has been sidelined by a strained hamstring since the beginning of the month. (Source: Tim MacMahon on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: If not Thursday, Harden would be on track to return Saturday. When he's back, Eric Gordon would lose playing time, and Gerald Green could be pushed out of fantasy relevance.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain on Sunday against the Lakers and will miss at least two weeks. Eric Gordon will get the start in his absence with newly signed Gerald Green picking up more minutes off the bench. (Source: NBA.com)

Fantasy Impact: It's a tough blow for fantasy owners who will be without their best player for at least the next two weeks. Eric Gordon will benefit the most with Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Gerald Green, Clint Capela, and Ryan Andrson all getting a boost.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden exited Sunday's game after posting a monstrous line against the Lakers with an apparent hamstring injury.

Fantasy Impact: Harden suffered a strained hamstring, though the severity is still unclear. Updates should be available Monday. Obviously, any time missed would be huge in terms of fantasy impact as Harden has been the top fantasy asset for much of the season.

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James Harden is good to go on Sunday against the Lakers despite a foot injury. Harden will start with Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, and Clint Capela. (Source: Craig Ackerman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Harden was questionable for this game but is good to go and needs to be fired up in all season-long leagues and DFS lineups despite his price tag. Oh, what it could've been if Harden was out for Eric Gordon. Gordon is still a must-start.

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James Harden scored 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field and 5-for-6 shooting from the free-throw line against the Wizards on Friday. He also added four assists, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had a subpar game in the back-end of back-to-back games and lacked his normal volume due to playing only 29 minutes. His 14 shots were a season-low, and he also failed to record a rebound for the first time this season. While Friday's performance was one of his worst of the season, there is little reason to be concerned overall as Harden remains elite in any fantasy format.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 7-for-18 shooting from the field and 12-for-14 shooting from the free-throw line on Christmas against the Thunder. He also added 14 assists, eight rebounds, one block, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to be excellent and it is little surprise that he put on a strong performance on Christmas day. He remains elite in all fantasy formats and is arguably the number one fantasy player this season.

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James Harden scored 51 points on 15-of-27 shooting from the field to go along with 17-for-21 shooting from the free-throw line against the Lakers. He also added nine assists, three rebounds, one block, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: This was a great matchup for Harden and he took advantage by scoring over 50 points for the second time this season. His nine assists were also impressive, especially considering that they have declined marginally with the return of Chris Paul. He clearly remains one of the best fantasy options in both DFS and season-long formats.

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James Harden struggled from the field on Monday against the Jazz, hitting just six of his 17 shot attempts from the field. However, he went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to piece together a 26-point performance. He also added six board, six assists, two steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is on a down stretch considering his own lofty standards, but he continues to find a way to contribute across every fantasy category. He also had a rough matchup tonight against a slow-paced Jazz team. That will be quite the opposite on Wednesday as the Rockets take on the Lakers, in what could be a get right spot for Harden.

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James Harden scored 31 points on 8-for-21 shooting from the field and 11-for-14 shooting from the free-throw line on Saturday against the Bucks. He also added six rebounds, five assists, and a block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden wasn't especially efficient from the field, but considering he was a game-time decision with a knee injury the performance was solid enough. This was a good bounce-back game for him in terms of scoring, as it was his first 30-point game in three games. He remains elite and seems to have dodged a bullet, avoiding serious injury on Friday.

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James Harden scored 28 points on 6-for-18 shooting from the field, though he did hit 14-of-16 free throws against the Spurs. He also added seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden struggled from the field for the second consecutive game, though he managed to salvage a decent scoring night thanks to his ability to get to the line. This is now two relatively down games for Harden, which is saying a lot about his previous performances, but he remains an elite fantasy option contributing across nearly every category.

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As expected, James Harden will start and play on Monday against the Pelicans despite some soreness in his calf. Harden was listed as probable so we expected him to active. (Source: Craig Ackerman on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Harden should be fired up in all leagues and formats with this appetizing matchup against the Pelicans. This game is expected to be the highest-scoring of them all this Monday.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden is listed as probable for Monday's game against the Pelicans due to a bruised calf. That means Harden is going to play against Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. This should be fun to watch. (Source: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a must-start regardless of the matchup and in DFS should be one of the top options as the Pelicans allow the eighth most fantasy points to opposing two-guards.

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James Harden scored 48 points on Saturday against the Trail Blazers on 16-for-29 shooting from the field and 12-for-14 shooting from the free-throw line. He also added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: This was another incredible performance from Harden, though nights like this are starting to feel somewhat routine. It is rare he scores fewer than 30 points and he regularly contributes across all categories. He is the best fantasy option in any format right now.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 8-for-19 shooting from the field against the Jazz. He also added five rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden didn't post his usual well-rounded stat line but he still managed a solid fantasy line given the difficult matchup. There should be no concern about his performance going forward, given that he had posted at least eight assists in each of his past four games and is scoring at a high volume consistently.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 8-for-22 shooting from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line against the Pacers on Wednesday. He also added 10 assists, eight rebounds, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has set such a high bar for himself this season that this performance feels like an average night. Inefficiency from the field stopped him from having another standout performance, but Harden continues to produce across several different categories on a game-to-game basis. He remains an elite option in all formats.

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James Harden scored 37 points on 13-for-20 shooting from the field, including eight made three-pointers against the Nets. He also added 10 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: At first glance, this is just another night for Harden but a few things stand out as positive for him. For one, he shot 65% from the field , one of his more efficient nights on the season. Second, he posted 37 points while only going to the free-throw line four times. Earlier in the season, that would have inhibited him from posting a big line, but he is showing the ability to score and produce in different ways.

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James Harden shot 12-for-27 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line to total 37 points on Saturday against the Knicks. He also added 10 assists, two rebounds, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden bounced back from a disappointing performance on Wednesday to put together a relatively efficient performance on Saturday night. Most positively, Harden's assist numbers have not fallen with the return of Chris Paul. As a result, he remains an elite fantasy option.

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James Harden shot just 6-for-16 from the field and 1-for-7 from three-point range for 21 points on Wednesday against the Nuggets. He also added nine assists and eight rebounds,

Fantasy Impact: This wasn't the best night from Harden as he struggled to find his shot, producing his lowest point total since October 28 as a result. However, he still came close to posting a triple-double, showing just how high his floor is. This was a down game, but look for Harden to bounce back on Saturday against the Knicks.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 9-for-20 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 shooting from the free-throw line on Saturday against the Grizzlies. He also added six three-pointers, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden didn't have his biggest scoring night on Saturday, which gives perspective to just how dominant he had been of late. That said, he still posted impactful fantasy numbers across the board and remains one of the elite fantasy options in both season-long and DFS formats.

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James Harden made 12-of-22 from the field for 48 points with two rebounds, seven assists, two steals, one block, five turnovers and six three-pointers in 35 minutes in Houston's blowout victory over the Suns on Thursday.

Fantasy Impact: Harden went off on Thursday night against a porous Phoenix Suns team, hitting 18-of-18 free-throws to extend his free-throw streak to 43 straight. His usage rate over the past week is ridiculous, at 39.0 with a 68.8% true-shooting percentage. Those numbers will likely regress in a negative way with the return of Chris Paul, but there is simply no stopping Harden's production. He could very well end up as the top player in fantasy this season.

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James Harden scored 38 points on Tuesday, 19 coming from the free-throw line, on just 8-for-25 shooting from the field against the Raptors. He also added 11 assists, six rebounds, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden struggled from the field but managed to score 38 points due to his ability to get to the free-throw line. He continues to find ways to put up fantasy value even when not at his best, though his nine turnovers will be painful for owners in nine-category leagues that count turnovers.

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James Harden shot 9-for-21 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line on Sunday against the Pacers. He also added 15 assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden took on a lesser scoring role, relatively speaking, on Sunday but saw a huge assist total of 15. That marks four times in his past five games that he has reached double-digit assists. He finds a way to produce every night across several categories, and that keeps him among the elite fantasy options.

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James Harden scored 38 points, hitting six three pointers and shooting 11-for-25 from the field and 10-for-14 from the free-throw line on Saturday against the Grizzlies. He also added eight assists, four rebounds, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to rack up points at a prolific rate, even if it isn't in the most efficient way. While he couldn't match his triple-double performance from Thursday, he has still managed to be an asset with his assists as well. It remains to be seen what will happen to his production when Chris Paul returns, but for now Harden is one of the elite fantasy options.

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James Harden scored 35 points on 8-for-21 shooting from the field and 13-for-14 shooting from the free-throw line against the Cavaliers. He added 13 assists, 11 rebounds, five steals, and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has now put up two massive performances in a row, following his career-best 56-point performance with this triple-double. The key to his scoring has been his ability to get to the free-throw line, something he was excellent at last year and that he has shown again this year. His shooting from the field remains inconsistent, but Harden is a fantasy stud this season regardless.

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James Harden scored a career-best 56 points on Sunday against the Jazz, shooting 19-for-25 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. He also added 13 assists, two boards, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: In route to his best scoring night of his career, Harden turned around his recent inefficiency by shooting over 75% from the field. While it was hard to complain about the raw numbers that Harden had been posting prior to Sunday's performance, he had failed to reach 40% shooting from the field in three of his past four games. It appears that he is back on track with his shooting, meaning he will remain an elite fantasy asset and there should be no concern regarding his play.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field and 7-for-10 shooting from the free-throw line against the Hawks. He also chipped in 11 assists, three rebounds, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: It was good to see Harden shoot more efficiently from the field as he had come into the game shooting under 40% from the field in his three prior games. After struggling to get to the free-throw line in the first few games of the season, Harden has gotten to the line at least nine times over the past three games. That said, things seem to be falling in line for Harden and fantasy owners as he continues to chip across all categories.

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James Harden shot just 9-for-23 from the field but managed to record 31 points on Wednesday against the Knicks thanks to 7-for-9 shooting from the free-throw line. He also added nine assists and five rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has now shot under 40% in three consecutive games, a concerning trend for the superstar. This figures to be a season-worst stretch for Harden as the absence of Chris Paul has hampered the team's offense as a whole. Of course, there is really very little to complain about with Harden as he posted another very strong fantasy line outside of his shooting struggles.

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James Harden totaled 29 points on Monday against the Sixers but shot just 8-for-21 from the field. However, he managed to reach the free throw line 12 times, hitting 10 of them. He also chipped in seven assists, four rebounds, and four steals.

Fantasy Impact: Overall, it's difficult to complain about another well-rounded line for Harden, however, he is shooting just 41% over his past three games. Monday, he was able to mask that by going to the line 12 times, something that propelled his scoring last season. His strong assist numbers are a surprise and will likely fall when Chris Paul returns but fantasy owners shouldn't be overly concerned as Harden continues to produce on a nightly basis.

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James Harden scored 27 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field and also went 7-for-8 from the line on Friday against the Hornets. Additionally, he added 11 assists, 10 rebounds, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: This was Harden's first triple-double of the season, though it would be surprising to see it be his last. He continues to handle the ball at an incredibly high rate in the absence of Chris Paul, so he should continue to rack up assists. Harden has been oddly inconsistent in his ability to get to the free-throw line to start the season, likely something that will correct itself as the season wears on. However, it remains something to monitor as it would affect his fantasy value if it were to remain throughout the season. In spite of that, Harden has had a strong start to the season and his owners should have no problem with his performances.

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James Harden scored 27 points on 10-for-20 shooting from the field and also added 13 assists, three blocks, three rebounds, and a steal against the 76ers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is handling the ball a huge amount in the absence of Chris Paul as seen by his 13 assists. For those in turnover leagues however, there is also a negative effect as Harden turned the ball over eight times on Wednesday. Even so, Harden has returned plenty of value throughout the first week of the season, averaging 26.4 points per game to go along with 9.6 assists and 1.4 steals.

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James Harden shot 10-for-19 from the field and hit six of his 13 three-point attempts to total 29 points on Saturday against the Mavericks. He also chipped in seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has delivered exactly what was expected him in the early portions of the season, scoring more than 25 points in each of his games this season while also chipping in 8.7 assists. There's no reason to doubt Harden at this point, and his early season production is making clear that he was worth a top-five pick in all drafts.

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James Harden went 10-for-23 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line to total 27 points in the Rockets' 122-121 win over the Warriors. He also added 10 assists, six rebounds, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Questions surrounding how Chris Paul and Harden would coexist were answered for at least one night, as Harden still dominated shot opportunities for the Rockets. He also handled the ball plenty, dishing out 10 assists. Paul was bothered by a knee injury during the game, but Harden's performance in the season opener should soothe any concerns about a diminished role in the offense.

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James Harden flashed his MVP potential with 36 points and 11 assists. He also had two steals and seven turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a lock as a first-round target in most fantasy drafts. However, he's no longer the consensus number one pick, as he'll likely lose touches to Chris Paul. Harden will be an elite source of points, three-pointers and steals.

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James Harden fills the stat sheet in the Rockets' first preseason game, scoring 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting. He tallied 10 assists, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

Fantasy Impact: Harden started his 2017 campaign with a strong outing, despite struggling from the field. He shot just 3-of-12 from deep and connected on 3-of-5 free throws. His three steals and two blocks were a nice compliment to his scoring total. Harden and Chris Paul combined for 17 assists, which will likely become the norm in Houston as they have a strong claim to the best passing backcourt in the league. His assists will undoubtedly take a hit this year playing with Chris Paul, but he's still a sure-fire top-3 fantasy pick.

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James Harden agrees to a four-year extension making him the highest paid NBA player of all time. This deal will run through the 2022-2023 season and Harden will make $228 million with $59 million over the next two seasons followed by the $228 million over the next six seasons. (Source: NBA.com)

Fantasy Impact: Harden will be a top-three pick again next season in re-draft leagues while the addition of Chris Paul will allow him to play off the ball more. His assist numbers could go down, however, it's hard to see him not bringing up the ball when Paul is off the floor.

Category: , Transactions

Yes, this is actual news. The rapper known as Lil B has lifted the curse that he put on James Harden. Lil B put the curse on Harden back in 2015 because James was doing the cooking dance without crediting the rapper. (Source: The Washington Post)

Fantasy Impact: Well thank goodness! Now James Harden can finally play like the All-Star he is. Thank you Lil B.

James Harden took just 11 shots, making only two while finishing with 10 points in the Rockets 114-75 blowout loss to the Spurs in Game 6 on Thursday. Harden also had six turnovers while recording seven assists and three rebounds in 37 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden finished a tremendous season on a sour note on Thursday with his worst performance of the season as he just didn't look like his MVP-caliber self. Harden set career-highs in points (29.1), rebounds (8.1) and assists (11.2) this season and will be a top two selection in all fantasy drafts next year.

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James Harden scored 33 points with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, one block and one steal in the loss to the Spurs.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had a chance to tie the game with a 3-point shot, but Manu blocked him from behind. You know when the Beard gets back to Houston he's going to be mad and he's going to score a million points. Lock him in, no matter his cost.

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James Harden scored 28 points with 12 assists, five rebounds and two steals in the win over San Antonio.

Fantasy Impact: Harden doesn't have quite the upside he did playing against teams that are not the Spurs, but he's still one of the best players to target in DFS. His salary is high, but you'll know he'll have the ball in his hands at all times. He's worth the hefty price tag.

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James Harden scored 13 points with 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals in the loss to the Spurs.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was 3 of 17 from the field. THREE!! You can guarantee he will come out firing next game.

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James Harden scored 20 points and handed out 14 assists for a double-double to help lead the Rockets to a 126-99 victory over the Spurs in Game 1 on Monday. Harden also had four steals and a rebound in 31 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: A big opening game win for Harden and the Rockets in San Antonio jumping out to a 30-point halftime lead and cruising to victory. Look for Game 2 to be much more competitive forcing Harden and the starters to play more minutes and thus more fantasy production for DFS contests.

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James Harden scored 16 points with eight assists, seven rebounds, seven turnovers and one steal in the win over the Thunder.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was 5-of-16 from the floor, which is.. well.. not good. This was just an off game and he'll be back to his dominating ways next game.

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James Harden scored 35 points with eight assists, four rebounds and one steal in the Game 2 win over the Thunder.

Fantasy Impact: MVP? Probably. He and Westbrook are having a great duel and it'll be sad when it ends. Just enjoy it while you can.

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James Harden scored 37 points with seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals in the first game of the West Conference first round.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a fantasy scoring machine, he had a near triple-double in the first game and there's no way he's going to slow down in this round. Continue to lock him into your lineup.

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James Harden managed 14 points on just 22 percent shooting from the field while going 9-for-14 from the free throw line in Houston's 125-96 loss to the Clippers on Monday. Harden added seven rebounds, six assists, one steal and one triple in 24 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: With the No. 3 seed locked up, Houston played their MVP-candidate sparingly on Monday as the 24 minutes he played mark a season low for the Beard. Harden will be rested and ready to go come playoff time though, have no doubt.

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James Harden scored 31 points on 6-for-19 shooting with 10 assists, seven rebounds, three blocked shots, four three-pointers and one steal over 39 minutes in Wednesday's 110-104 win over the Nuggets.

Fantasy Impact: Harden returned after missing the game on Sunday due to illness. He did not look that sharp from the field which could have been an effect of the being out. He was able to post his 60th double-double of the season. Harden continues to make a case of being MVP in fantasy as well as the NBA.

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James Harden will miss Sunday's game due to the flu as he's listed as doubtful and they play the Suns. Troy Williams will start in his place alongside Eric Gordon, Patrick Beverly, Sam Dekker and Clint Capela. (Source: Jonathan Feigen on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: With Harden out, Patrick Beverly, Eric Gordon and Lou Williams see a huge boost in chances while Clint Capela and Sam Dekker also get a boost. All of those players are very daily worth on Sunday.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden scored 30 points on 37 percent shooting from the floor while going 6-for-7 from the charity stripe in Houston's 117-107 loss to the Blazers on Thursday night. He went just 2-for-13 from deep in the loss while also contributing eight rebounds, four assists and a steal in a team-high 37 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden failed to dish out 10-plus dimes for the first time in his last 10 games and had a very rough night shooting from beyond the arc. The Beard has now gone 3-for-22 from deep over his past two games and will need to rediscover his jumper if he wants to beat out Russell Westbrook for the coveted league MVP award.

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As expected, James Harden will play on Thursday against the Blazers despite a sore wrist. Harden is going for triple-double number 21 on Thursday and there's no reason to think he won't get it. (Source: ESPN.com)

Fantasy Impact: Harden's wrist injury probably scares some people from using him in daily on Thursday but still strongly consider getting him in your lineups.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden racked up 24 points (5-for-20), 11 rebounds, 13 assists, and a steal in Tuesday's 113-106 loss to Golden State.

Fantasy Impact: While he only connected on five of 20 shot attempts, Harden made up that production on the glass and dishing out assists. The MVP candidate won't struggle shooting the ball very often, and won't get to double-digit rebounds often, but fantasy owners can expect continued high assist totals and buckets moving forward into fantasy championships.

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James Harden finished Sunday's contest with 22 points (8-for-15), five rebounds, and 12 assists.

Fantasy Impact: On a night in which the Rockets scored 137 points, one would hope the Harden would have more than 22 of them. Nonetheless, he still had an efficient night shooting above 50% from the field. With the Rockets basically walked into the number three seed, keep an eye on how they distribute minutes for the starters heading towards the postseason.

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James Harden racked up 39 points (13-for-29 FG, 4-for-11 3PT), seven rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals in Monday's 125-124 win.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has really stepped it up as of late, and it almost seems as if he knows it's the fantasy playoffs. The Arizona State product will likely carry a large percentage of squads to fantasy basketball championships as long as he remains on the floor.

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James Harden finished Wednesday's matchup with 18 points (6-for-12), 12 rebounds, 13 assists, and a pair of steals.

Fantasy Impact: It was the kind of game fantasy owners were hoping for as many have started their playoffs. With the Rockets scoring 139 points, one would think that the MVP candidate would've had more than 18 for himself. Nonetheless, expect Harden to be hungry moving towards the NBA postseason.

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James Harden finished the weekend opener with 19 points (6-for-16), seven rebounds, 13 assists, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: While the scoring wasn't prolific on Friday night, Harden is the type of player to make up for an off shooting night in other aspects. Expect the Arizona St. product to get shots to fall as early as Houston's next matchup.

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James Harden finished the week-opener with 39 points (13-for-20), three rebounds, and 12 assists.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was flying high on Monday night as his 39 points let the Rockets. The MVP candidate may have had a little more, had his game-winning shot attempt not been blocked.

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James Harden scores 33 points in an easy 123-108 win over the Grizzlies. Harden shot and impressive 9-for-15 FG, 6-of-10 3PT and 9-of-13 FT's. Harden posted another double-double with 11 assists while adding seven boards and two steals. Harden committed five turnovers in this game his only blemish.

Fantasy Impact: Harden shot the ball really well in this game and his averages are now up to 28.3 points, 11.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game. Continue to get Harden in your lineups on a nightly basis. He's a must start regardless of matchup.

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James Harden scored 26 points on 7-of-15 shooting including hitting 4-of-9 from three-point range. Harden also contributed nine assists, three rebounds and a steal in the Rockets' 122-103 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday.

Fantasy Impact: Harden's scoring has dipped since the All-Star break where he is averaging just 22.0 points per game compared to 29.2 prior to the break. Part of the reason for the decreased scoring could be the fact that the Rockets have three double-digit victories since the break allowing Harden to take it easy late in games. Harden and the Rockets will get a tough test on Saturday when they face the Grizzlies.

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James Harden finished Thursday's return to action with 13 points (3-for-9), four rebounds, 14 assists, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: In limited minutes and only shooting 33% from the field Harden was able to impact the game in other ways, most impactfully dishing 14 assists. Fantasy owners know by now that they needn't worry about scoring inefficiencies from the MVP candidate.

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Harden continues his MVP-type season as he scored 38 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists on Wednesday night and notched his 15th triple-double of the season in the loss to the Heat 117-109.

Fantasy Impact: Harden and the Rockets head into the All-Star break as the Western Conference number three seed and Harden continues to dominate the NBA averaging 29.2 points per game, which is third overall and leading the NBA in assists with 11.3 per game. MVP! MVP!

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James Harden finished Thursday's tilt with 30 points (8-for-21), 11 rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and a block.

Fantasy Impact: Fantasy owners have come to expect high assist totals and a handful of rebounds every game from Harden. Although the Arizona State product wasn't particularly efficient shooting the ball, large volume and his ability to get to the free-throw line will continue to keep his point totals sky high.

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The Rockets beat Orlando to move to 38-17 on the season. James Harden led the team in scoring with 25 points. He also recorded a double-double with his 13 assists.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is obviously one of the top five fantasy players in the NBA. He should be played every night the Rockets see the court. Even with his abysmal 28 percent shooting, Harden still stuffed the stat sheet with his point total, assists, six rebounds and three steals. His price tag in DFS is getting a little to pricey, but it is hard to fade him every night even in that format.

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James Harden struggled from the field on Tuesday as he was hitting just 29 percent of his shots from the field including 30 percent from beyond the arc. Harden also went 10-for-14 from the charity stripe for a total of 25 points on the night. The Beard added 13 assists, six rebounds and three steals in 36 minutes of floor time during Houston's 128-104 victory.

Fantasy Impact: Harden recorded yet another double-double to bring his league-leading total to 43 on the season. Though he's struggled from the field over his past few games - shooting just below 40 percent from the field - he's still been stuffing the stat sheet as he's averaging 26.6 points, 9.2 assists, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 treys and 2.6 steals over his past five games. Harden's also been taking better care of the ball as he's averaging just 3.3 turnovers per game in February.

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In a 113-108 loss to the Hawks, James Harden had 41 points (10-for-23 from the field, 5-for-12 from three-point range and 16-for-21 from the line), eight assists, eight rebounds, four steals and four turnovers in 38 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to be one of the most productive fantasy players in the game today. He's a must-start in all leagues right now and should be targeted in DFS leagues as well.

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James Harden finished Tuesday's meeting with 10 points (3-for-9 from the field), seven rebounds, eight assists, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: It was a rare quiet night for the all-star guard, as his three made shots and single-digit assists are not what fantasy owners have come to expect. Obviously, an outlier, look for Harden to return to near triple-double numbers when Houston takes on Atlanta on Thursday.

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In a 120-109 loss to the Celtics, James Harden scored 30 points (6-for-18 from the field, 2-for-11 from behind the arc and 16-for-19 from the charity stripe), dished out 12 assists, grabbed six boards, had one steal, blocked one shot and turned the ball over seven times in 37 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had a rough night shooting the ball (33.3% field goal percentage) and turned the ball over a bunch of times (seven in total), but he still helped his fantasy owners out in a variety of ways and that is typically the case for him even when he isn't having one of his better games statistically in some ways.

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James Harden scored 29 points on just 7-for-9 shooting. He shot 11-for-12 from the free-throw line and hit four three-pointers. He dished out 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had six turnovers but his offensive efficiency is through the charts. He is the leading the NBA in free-throw's made at less than nine per game. He will look to continue his monster year tonight against Milwaukee Bucks.

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James Harden put in 40 points on 40 percent shooting from the field including 27 percent from deep in the Rockets' 109-103 loss to the Heat on Tuesday. The MVP-candidate also went 12-for-13 from the charity stripe and added 12 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals in 39 minutes on the floor.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has been playing out of his mind in the new year as he's scored 40 points three times in his last six games and has had triple-doubles in five of his last nine. If only he didn't turn the ball over 6.4 times a game.

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James Harden finished Friday's contest with 27 points (6-for-14), three rebounds, nine assists, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: It was a somewhat quiet night for Harden, as he failed to reach double-digit assists for the first time since December 20th. The real struggle for the night was only connecting on two shots from beyond the arc on seven attempts. Look for the assist numbers to inflate and his efficiency to return as early as Houston's next matchup.

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James Harden posted another triple-double leading with 40 points on 11-for-24 shooting. Harden made seven three-pointers and 11-of-14 free throws. Harden added 15 rebounds, 10 assists and only committed four turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has 11 triple-doubles now on the season. Ove the previous five games, Harden's averaging 28.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 10.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 3.0 3-pointers per game and is shooting 39 percent.

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In a 118-116 victory over the Thunder on Thursday, James Harden had 26 points (6-for-16 from the field, 2-for-7 from three-point range and 12-for-14 from the line), 12 assists, eight rebounds, one block, one steal and six turnovers in 38 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to play at an MVP-like level and is a no-brainer start in all fantasy and DFS leagues.

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Harden finished Thursday night's win with 26 points (6-for-16), eight rebounds, 12 assists, one steal, and a block.

Fantasy Impact: It was rough night shooting the ball for Harden, as he was matched up against Andre Roberson most of the night. Even without much of a shooting rhythm Harden was able to salvage his night with assists and boards. Expect this game with only six buckets to be an outlier as the season rolls on.

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Harden finished Saturday night's win with 53 points (14-for-26), 16 rebounds, and 17 assists.

Fantasy Impact: It was an MVP performance from Harden on New Year's Eve, as his box score was heaping with numbers. While this won't be an every-night occurrence, fantasy owners can certainly expect similar performances sprinkled in throughout the season.

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Harden finished Tuesday night's win with 34 points (9-for-16), five rebounds, 11 assists, and a block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continued his campaign for MVP against Dallas on Tuesday, posting his eleventh straight game with at least a double-double. The question for Harden at this point in the season isn't whether or not he'll return first-round value, it's will he deliver no.1 overall value. The latter seems more and more possible with each passing game.

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Harden finished Monday night's win with 32 points (9-for-18), five rebounds, and 12 assists.

Fantasy Impact: It was a big night for Harden and company, as the Rockets scored 131 points. While his 32 points are more than satisfactory, his 12 assists continue to add more value to Harden as a fantasy asset. It doesn't seem like the high points totals or assist numbers are going to deteriorate any time soon, so look for Harden to continue as a top fantasy option as long as he's on the floor.

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Harden finished Friday night's loss with 16 points (on 6-for-13 shooting) seven rebounds, 17 assists, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: Aside from the 17 assists, it was a bit of a pedestrian performance by Harden's high standards on Friday, as 16 points are well below his season average. Fantasy owners would certainly like to see his assist numbers stay inflated for the remainder of the season, as his league-leading 11.9 per-game is an added bonus for owners who drafted Harden for his gaudy points totals. Look for Harden to fill up the scoring column when Houston takes on the Suns on Monday.

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In a 115-109 loss to the Grizzlies, James Harden scored 16 points (6-for-13 from the field, 2-for-6 from three-point range and 2-for-3 from the line), dished out 17 assists, grabbed seven boards, had one steal and turned the ball over nine times in 36 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden once again filled up the stat sheet and is still a must-start in fantasy and DFS leagues moving forward.

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Harden finished Wednesday night's win with 27 points (on 8-for-18 shooting), five rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: While Harden's overall shooting percentage doesn't look great, he was 5-for-11 from three-point land. That kind of shooting from downtown is a revelation to fantasy owners who watched Harden hit just one three-pointer on 11 attempts the night before. Not to be mistaken as a "pure scorer" Harden was also able to add 14 assists to his stat line for the night. Look for similar production when Houston travels to Memphis on Friday night.

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Harden delivered 31 points (shooting 10-for-26), 10 rebounds, and seven assists in Tuesday's loss to San Antonio.

Fantasy Impact: While it seemed nobody could stop Harden from driving to the basket on Tuesday, he struggled from downtown. Fantasy owners would certainly like to see the superstar score more than once from beyond the arc, but 31 points amidst a double-double is definitely more than satisfactory. Look for Harden to get back to shooting the ball efficiently when the Rockets travel to Phoenix on Wednesday.

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Harden finished Wednesday night's win over New Orleans with 29 points (on 7-for-15 shooting), 11 rebounds, and 13 assists.

Fantasy Impact: Three-pointers played a big part in Harden's effort on Wednesday, connecting six times from downtown. The MVP candidate has certainly stepped his game up this season in terms of assists and rebounding, thus has remained among the elite fantasy producers in the league this year. Next for Harden and the Rockets is a tilt with the Timberwolves on Saturday.

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Harden finished Wednesday night's win with 15 points (on 4-for-7 shooting), 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden, on his way to his fifth triple-double of the season, only took seven shots on the night. Having such an impact in all facets on offense is a true testament to his growth as a player since being traded to Houston in 2013. Harden will look to continue his strong season on Friday night when Houston takes on New Orleans.

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Harden finished Saturday night's win with 18 points (shooting 4-for-12), 16 assists, nine rebounds, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden filled up the box score on Saturday, particularly in the assist column. While he wasn't particularly efficient shooting the ball, Harden is the type of player that can impact the game in more than one aspect. However, with Harden giving you production two nights in a row it can only mean one thing; you'll have to find fantasy points elsewhere as the Rockets won't take the floor again until Monday night.

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In 102-99 win over the Thunder on Friday, James Harden scored 21 points (6-for-23 from the field, 2-for-11 from behind the arc and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line), dished out 12 assists, grabbed nine boards, had two steals and had eight turnovers in 36 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: It was a nice all-around game from Harden, but he had a rough shooting night. He'll look to get his shooting touch back in his next contest and despite the rough night from the field, he's still a must-start fantasy player and an ideal DFS option to boot.

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Harden delivered 25 points (on 8-for-14 shooting and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc) to go along with eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals in Wednesday night's win over the Lakers.

Fantasy Impact: In an impressive 134-95 effort from the Rockets, Harden wasn't needed much late in the contest but was a key player in the team's ability to put up such gaudy offensive numbers. There will be games in which Houston separates themselves from their competition and Harden doesn't play much as a result. However, he will likely play a huge role in such an effort and the elite production will be there, regardless of minutes played. Look for Harden to continue dominance as long as he's healthy.

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James Harden scored 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting with six rebounds, eight assists and four steals in the big win over the Lakers.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets were able to blowout the Lakers on Wednesday which meant the team was able to give Harden some rest. Even with the cut of playing time Harden was able to provide another great stat line for fantasy owners.

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James Harden scored 29 points in a double-overtime win on Thursday night, adding 15 rebounds, 13 assists, two steals and one block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to be one of the top players in fantasy. He is averaging 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is also averaging a league-high 5.4 turnovers per game. But the high turnover rate is to be expected when he has the ball so much in the offense.

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Harden compiled 38 points (11-for-22 FG, 5-for-12 3PT, 11-for-13 FT), 10 assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block across 34 minutes in Sunday's 130-114 win over the Trail Blazers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden did have five turnovers and leads the league with 5.6 per game. But if you are punting that category then Harden has to be considered one of the top fantasy players to own in the NBA.

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In a 115-102 loss to the Raptors, James Harden ended up with 29 points (7-for-13 from the field, 3-for-8 from three-point range and 12-for-12 from the line), 15 assists, six rebounds, two steals and 12 turnovers in 40 minutes on the floor for the Rockets.

Fantasy Impact: Minus the ridiculous amount of turnovers he committed in his contest from last night, Harden had his typical solid night all-around on the court and continues to be one of the best fantasy and DFS options in all of basketball.

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James Harden went for another double-double on Monday in a road win vs. Detroit. The 4x All-Star scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out 11 assists.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden is certainly a top MVP candidate this season. He is 2nd in the league is double-doubles and 2nd in triple-doubles as well. Not only is he averaging 28.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, he is leading the league in assists with 12.4 and is 3rd in player efficiency rating at 30.43.

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James Harden bounced back from a 13-point night in a big way on Thursday with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and three three-pointers, while also committing just four turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has to be in consideration for the number one player in fantasy right now. He is averaging 28.6 points with 12.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game for the Rockets. He has really shined at the point guard position for coach Mike D'Antoni's offense and should continue to put up big numbers for the rest of the season.

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James Harden shot 12-for-20 from the field, 4-for-8 on three-pointers and 5-for-5 free throws for 33 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, a steal, a block and five turnovers in 33 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has arguably been the top player in fantasy and the NBA this season. If you are fortunate enough to have the shooting guard on your fantasy team you are being rewarded with 30.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 12.6 assists this year. Harden is a good play in DFS with these big numbers but his price is rising.

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James Harden scored 24 points in the win over the Spurs in San Antonio. He also added 12 rebounds and 15 assists for his 10th career triple-double.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is tearing the league up this year averaging 30.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 13 assists per game as he has led the Rockets to a 5-3 record to open the year. The Rockets have played eight games this year and seven of them have been on the road. Four of their next five games are at home so look for Harden to continue these amazing performances. If it wasn't already obvious Harden should be in your starting lineup every week.

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James Harden has another 30-plus point and 15-plus assist game last night which was his fourth on the season. Last year the whole league combined had only three such games. He has a streak of four straight games with 30-plus points and 10-plus assists and he doesn't look like he will be slowing down.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a guaranteed start every night. Although he might not have the best defense in the league he is one of the best offensive players. Look for Harden to tear it up this year on offense in Mike D'Antoni's system.

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James Harden was 10-for-19 from the field and had four 3-pointers for 30 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and six turnovers in Saturday's loss at Atlanta.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is making a case of being the top player in fantasy this season. He is leading the league in assists with an average of 12.3 and is only behind Russell Westbrook in scoring with 31.5 points per game.

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James Harden scored 41 points (13-for-20 field goals, 5-for-9 three-pointers, 10-for-14 free throws) while adding 15 assists, seven rebounds, and a steal in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 128-120 loss to the Cavaliers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden came into the game nursing an ankle injury but it did not seem to affect him at all. This was truly a great fantasy line as Harden only committed one turnover on the night. The veteran shooting guard seems to have taken to coach Mike D'Antoni's offense and should be one of the top players in fantasy this season.

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James Harden was listed as probable and will start tonight against the Cavaliers in what should be a high-scoring game.

Fantasy Impact: Get Harden in your lineups across the board.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden (ankle) is listed as probable for Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers, Calvin Watkins of ESPN reports. Harden rolled his left ankle late in Sunday's game against the Mavericks. He remained in the game and finished the night with 28 points, eight turnovers, seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 39 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: The sprain looks to be a non-issue with Harden and should not have any restrictions. He has started off the year with MVP type numbers and should be one of the top fantasy options in basketball.

Category: , Injury Updates, Game Recaps

James Harden recorded a career-high in assists on opening night with 17 but fell short against the Lakers 120-114. Harden finished with 34 points, 17 assists, eight rebounds and one steal. Harden did commit seven turnovers as the primary ball handler with Patrick Beverly out.

Fantasy Impact: Get Harden into your lineups across the board. He's already living up to his top five selection.

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James Harden scored 35 points on 12-for-13 shooting with six rebounds, six assists on Wednesday, as the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs.

Fantasy Impact: The beard was really the only consistent rocket player in this series. He turned the ball over seven times but his teammates could not get it going offensive. The Rockets were just outmatched by the Warriors and there are plenty of chemistry issues on this team. It's going to be an interesting off-season for the Rockets.

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James Harden scored 18 points on 4-for-13 shooting with 10 assists, seven rebounds, seven steals and two 3-pointers in a blowout loss to Golden State.

Fantasy Impact: The Warriors outscored the Rockets 40-21 in the third quarter. The Rockets showed poor effort and showed no fight after falling behind. Patrick Beverley (leg) was hurt during this game and if he can't play, Harden will have even more offensive responsibility.

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James Harden made the game winning shot in Thursday's 97-96 victory over the Warriors. He scored 35 points on 11-for-26 shooting with nine assists, eight rebounds, two steals and four 3-pointers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden drove the lane and hit a turnaround jumper over Draymond Green. The Rockets will look to take game 4 to knot the series 2-2 on Sunday.

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James Harden scored 28 points on 7-for-19 shooting during a Game 2 115-106 loss to the Warriors on Monday, adding two rebounds, 11 assists, one block, and one 3-pointer in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden came out better than game one offensively. After not going to the line at all in Game 1, Harden made 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in this game. The Rockets will look to get back in the series on Thursday night in Houston.

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James Harden produced 30 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and two assists in Thursday;s loss to the Suns.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets are just one game out of a playoff spot and have three games to go this. While this loss was a blow they still have hope and that means Harden will not be getting rested. Feel free to use the superstar in the remaining few games of the regular season in DFS leagues.

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James Harden scored 42 points with nine assists, four rebounds, three steals, one block, and five turnovers in a win over the Thunder.

Fantasy Impact: Harden scored 15 4th quarter points to lead the Rockets to this victory. Harden has been nothing short of elite all season long and as long as he continues to be in the lineup he is one of the best fantasy options out there.

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James Harden scored 24 points on 8-for-20 shooting and added eight assists, four rebounds, two blocks and two 3-pointers in 42 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: This was one of the worst losses for the Rockets all season. Owners shouldn't worry about Harden because of The Rockets still in the playoff hunt. They get a tough game against the Thunder on Sunday and a pivotal game against the Mavs on Wednesday. After these games it's a cake walk with games against the Suns, Lakers, at Wolves and Kings. Harden shouldn't miss any of these upcoming games.

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James Harden's Rockets lost to the Pacers on Sunday but Harden had himself a great game. He racked up 34 points and added eight rebounds, eight assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Just another day at the office for Harden as he one of the league's elite stat stuffers. He fought through an illness in this game but it didn't appear to effect him in the least bit. Expect Harden to remain one of the top DFS plays until the end of the season.

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James Harden had a career-high eight steals during a 89-87 loss to the Jazz on Wednesday. He scored 26 points on 8-for-19 shooting and added seven rebounds, 10 assists and two 3-pointers.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has been posting major stat lines as of late. He's a top five player for the rest of the season.

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James Harden had 24 points on 7-for-17 shooting and added seven rebounds, a career-high 16 assists, four steals and two 3-pointers in 40 minutes against the Thunder.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was a game-time decision tonight due to a tender ankle. The beard played 40 minutes which is a great sign moving forward. Rockets play tomorrow against the Jazz.

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James Harden suffered a sprained ankle in Saturday's game and could miss Monday's practice as a result of the injury. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Harden and the Rockets next game is on Tuesday against the Thunder. Owners will want to monitor Harden's status. It would be a nice matchup for the All-Star. If he's sidelined there would be usage increases across the board considering how much of the offense runs through Harden.

Category: , Injury Updates

James Harden scored 25 points on 7-for-17 shooting with six rebounds, eight assists, one steal, one block and three 3-pointers during a 109-97 loss on to the Hawks.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was dealing with a sore left foot during the game. Hopefully a couple days of rest will help. If he misses time, Corey Brewer will have to step up.

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James Harden scored 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting adding 14 assists, five rebounds, three steals and three 3-pointers in Friday's 116-110 win.

Fantasy Impact: The beard was great in the second half thanks to Coach Bickerstaff keeping him more on the floor. Harden did commit nine turnovers but owners should be use to that. The turnovers are the only thing stopping him from becoming a top 5 fantasy player. Look for Harden to finish strong for your teams as the Rockets are still in the hunt.

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James Harden didn't put up a gaudy point title but he contributed in all facets. He scored 15 points with seven rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets beat the Grizzlies in a blowout in this one so Harden wasn't needed as much. He attempted only eight field goals and played just 25 minutes. For his fantasy owners it was a bit of a disappointment but it could of been much worse. Expect Harden to play more minutes and take more shots in his next outing.

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James Harden scored 40 points on 11-of-20 from the field, and added 14 assists, five boards and one steal to lead Houston to a road win in Toronto.

Fantasy Impact: Harden only turned the ball over one time and killed the Raptors down the stretch. Harden is one of the best players to own when he plays like this.

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James Harden went to work against the Pelicans' defense on Wednesday for 39 points on 11-for 24 shooting with 12 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, one block and one 3-pointer in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: The Beard was feeling it tonight. He made 11-of-24 FGs and 16-of-18 FTs. Although he had eight turnovers owners should be pleased. The rockets are fighting for a postseason spot so Harden will need to have more nights like these.

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James Harden did a bit of everything in a shootout loss to the Bucks on Monday night. He scored 26 points with nine assists, six rebounds, three steals, and turned it over four times in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden's incredible month of February ended with another big performance. Everything the Rockets do run through Harden and because of that his floor is very high. Any time the Rockets play, Harden is one of the top DFS options.

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James Harden contributed 27 points on 10-for-25 from the field and added four rebounds, two steals and one steal in 41 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: It was a tough night in general for the rockets. Harden struggled with his shot tonight and also committed five turnovers. Most of his production came in the second half with the game out of reach. Harden is a stud and he'll bounce back next game.

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James Harden had another monster game with 46 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets were struggling in the first half but Harden caught fire and led his team to an impressive comeback victory over the Trailblazers. Harden is virtually unstoppable at this point and he deserves to be fired up as one of the game's elite options every night the Rockets play.

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James Harden piled on the stats on Tuesday in an overtime loss against the Jazz. He scored 42 points with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden took a whopping 30 shot attempts in this game as it was clear the offense would flow through him. Harden continues to rack up monster numbers on a nightly basis and he is a top-5 fantasy player in daily leagues every time he hits the court.

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James Harden scored 37 points with five rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block, and just one turnover in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets were another victim of the Golden State Warriors but Harden fantasy owners had nothing to complain about. As long as Harden is on the court he is always going to be one of the best fantasy options at any position.

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The Houston Rockets got a beat down on Saturday night against the Trailblazers but that didn't stop James Harden from stuffing the stat sheet. Harden scored 33 points with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block. The only negative to this performance was that he turned it over 10 times.

Fantasy Impact: This would have been another outstanding game for Harden but his turnovers hampered his overall performance in fantasy leagues. It is probably safe to chalk up his loose ball handling as a fluke and you should feel comfortable to continue to deploy him as the leader of your fantasy team.

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James Harden was a force in Tuesday's win over the Heat. He scored 26 points with 14 assists, four rebounds, two steals, one block, and turned it over just three times in 35 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: This is the second straight double-double for Harden and more importantly he helped the Rockets put an end to a three game losing streak. Harden had a monster month of January and he looks to continue to same in February, lock him in as a top five option in all fantasy leagues.

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James Harden recorded 35 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists during Monday night's win over the Pelicans.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden has been on fire lately. He recorded two triple-doubles and one double-double over the last week. Owners should continue to play Harden each game.

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James Harden recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists during Sunday night's win over Dallas.

Fantasy Impact: This is Harden's second triple-double in the last week. James Harden should be started every time he plays.

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James Harden recorded 30 points, eight assists, and five rebounds in 34 minutes during Friday night's win over the Bucks.

Fantasy Impact: With a number of injuries for the Rockets, Harden had no choice but to put up a solid performance. With Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley out for a short while, owners can continue to trust in James Harden.

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James Harden had a typical night scoring 20 points with eight assists, three rebounds, and turned it over three times.

Fantasy Impact: In a high scoring overtime affair with the Clippers, Harden was relatively disappointing, for his standards. He surprisingly only attempted 12 shots from the field and got to the line 13 times. This is about where Harden's floor is at on a nightly basis so don't be concerned with plugging him in DFS lineups as your key guy.

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James Harden squared off with the Grizzlies on Tuesday and had a typical Harden type of night. He scored 25 points with five assists, five rebounds, and one steal. The only negative to his game was that he turned it over six times.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was incredibly efficient shooting the ball in this one (6-13 field goals, 4-9 three pointers, 9-10 free throws) and the Grizzlies had no answer for him. The Rockets have been surging as of late and it seems to coincide with Harden being more efficient with the ball in his hands.

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James Harden played great in an overtime win over the Pacers on Sunday. He logged 43 minutes scoring 21 points with nine rebounds, nine assists, and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden did struggle a bit shooting the ball but he did plenty outside of scoring. He has been stuffing the stat sheet all season long and continues to be one of fantasy's elite performers.

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James Harden recorded 33 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals during Monday night's win over the Jazz.

Fantasy Impact: Despite putting up a solid 30-plus points for two straight games, Harden failed to make a single 3-pointer Monday night. This was only the fourth game this season that Harden made zero of his 3-point attempts. On the bright side, James Harden currently leads the league in minutes, free throws, and points. Owners should feel confident starting Harden every game.

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James Harden recorded 30 points, seven assists, five rebounds, four 3-pointers and one block during Monday night's win over the Jazz.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had a nice bounce back from Saturday's 17 points against the Spurs. In addition, Harden's 42 minutes should give owners hope.

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James Harden squared with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday and picked up 30 points with five assists, five rebounds, three steals, and turned it over three times.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was unable to lead the Rockets to a victory over the Steph Curry-less Warriors. However he continues to pour on the numbers and gives elite production across the board.

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James Harden had another typical night by his standards with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. He also added a steal but turned it over seven times.

Fantasy Impact: While the turnovers were a bit much, Harden put up fantastic numbers, and continues to be one the elite play-makers in the NBA. Continue to ride Harden as a top-5 overall player in both daily and seasonal fantasy leagues.

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James Harden recorded 31 points, seven assists, and three rebounds during Wednesday night's loss to the Magic.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden continues to put up solid points, even when the Rockets lose. Owners should continue to start Harden every game.

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James Harden was at it again on Monday against the Hornets. He scored 36 points with seven assists, five rebounds, one block, and turned it over four times.

Fantasy Impact: The Rockets needed every bit of this performance from Harden in the win as nobody else really stepped up. While they may not be having great team success this season, Harden continues to put up monster numbers on a nightly basis. Continue to treat Harden as one of the best plays in any fantasy format.

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James Harden recorded 25 points, six rebounds, six assists, one block, one steal, and two 3-pointers during Thursday's win over the Lakers.

Fantasy Impact: Thursday night's game was the sixth time this month that James Harden scored over 25 points. After being on a hot streak, scoring 17 3-pointers in the last four games, Harden only made 2-of-7 for the night. Owners should continue to start Harden due to his high potential each week.

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James Harden recorded 33 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four 3-pointers, and shot 56 percent from the field.

Fantasy Impact: Even with the loss, James Harden has been on fire with his 3-pointers lately. In his last four games, he's made 5-of-9, 3-of-5, 5-of-8, and 4-of-8. In addition, Harden has now scored at least 20 points in all but four games this year. That means 85 percent of the time, Harden scores 20-plus points.

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James Harden had a typical night with 24 points, six assists, three rebounds, three steals, and turned it over twice.

Fantasy Impact: Harden had somewhat of a quiet night for his standards as of late. Still his well-rounded stat line made for a nice fantasy performance. Consider Harden to remain a top-5 play every day his team takes the court.

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During Wednesday night's win, James Harden recorded 43 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and seven turnovers. In addition, Harden made 13-of-23 from the field, and made 5 of his 9 3-point attempts.

Fantasy Impact: As expected, with Trevor Ariza out of Wednesday night's lineup, Harden had no choice but to put up solid numbers. Owners should start Harden each week and expect even more value from him when another starter is out.

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James Harden made 22 percent of his shots during Tuesday night's loss to the Nets. He recorded 10 points, one 3-pointer, three rebounds, nine assists and three steals, and had seven turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden played one of the worst games of his career Tuesday night. Wednesday night, Harden and the Rockets take on the struggling Washington Wizards. Harden will bounce back and should be expected as a solid play.

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James Harden was just shy of a triple-double during Friday night's win. Harden recorded 25 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one 3-pointer, two blocks and four turnovers in 36 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Even though Harden now has been shooting a career-low 39 percent from the field, he still continues to be a solid play.

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James Harden recorded 29 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals, two 3-pointers and two turnovers during Monday night's loss to the Pistons.

Fantasy Impact: Harden put up another decent game Monday night. Going forward, owners can rely on Harden to consistently come just shy of a double-double.

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James Harden recorded 26 points with seven rebounds, nine assists and two steals during Sunday night's victory over New York.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden has the difficult task of stepping up and being the Rockets' leader each game. While he won't be recording 40-plus points each night, he is still as solid as they come.

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James Harden recorded a season-high 50 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, six 3-pointers and nine turnovers in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden scored a monster 50 points in the Houston Rockets' win over the 76ers. With Harden continually putting up great numbers, keep starting him in all formats.

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James Harden recorded 40 points, five rebounds, five assists, five 3-pointers, and three steals in Wednesday night's loss to Memphis. In addition, he shot 63 percent from the field and made 11-of-11 from the line.

Fantasy Impact: Even with the Rocket's losing record, it's apparent that Harden can't be stopped. With all of the point guard drama in Houston, James Harden has no choice but the be the leader on the floor each night. Owner's should delight in knowing Harden will continue to be a top five player.

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James Harden recorded 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in Saturday night's loss.

Fantasy Impact: Harden put up his second double-double of the week. Harden is obviously looking to give the Rockets some energy. Even with Houston's losing streak, James Harden continues to be a solid start.

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James Harden recorded 22 points, six rebounds, six turnovers, and five assists in Friday night's loss against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Fantasy Impact: Coming off a monster 45-point, 11-assist game, Harden failed to repeat. With a mere 15 field goal attempts, Harden has no choice but to step it up in Saturday night's game against the Knicks.

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James Harden had a very quiet and uncharacteristic night on Monday against the Celtics. He logged 30 minutes, scoring 16 points with three assists, one rebound, and four turnovers. He only attempted 10 shots in the game.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is typically a field goal attempts machine but he was passive this night. The Rockets have been awful this season and Harden has not quiet had the start that one might expect. Still he has been a top fantasy option more nights than not.

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James Harden had a typical night in the box score but he struggled to reach his numbers. He scored 23 points (8-22 FG, 3-10 3PT, 4-5FT) with nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and he turned it over four times.

Fantasy Impact: In fantasy leagues that don't use shooting percentage, Harden had a spectacular night. However for the Rockets he tried to force things all night and they suffered a bad loss to the Nets. This won't be the last time Harden piles on numbers on a huge volume of shots but fantasy owners won't mind.

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James Harden has struggled out of the gates with his shooting but on Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder he was able to pour on the points. Harden scored 37 points (12-26 FG, 4-12 3PT, 9-11 FT) with five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks while only turning it over twice.

Fantasy Impact: The Thunder seem to be a good recipe for opponents to get on track. They have allowed a ton of high scores to start the season and this was the perfect medicine for Harden's early-season struggles. Expect Harden to build off this and a be top-5 fantasy player like he is supposed to be.

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Houston Rockets SG James Harden had an extremely inefficient night on Friday against the Warriors. He posted 16 points (4-18 FG, 1-10 3PT, 7-8 FT) and added seven rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block while turning the ball over four times.

Fantasy Impact: Even when Harden has a night like this that kills your FG%, he still manages to contribute in every category. Expect him to be his normal efficient self most nights.

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Harden exited Sunday's preseason game against the Magic in the second quarter due to a right knee contusion, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. (Source: Houston Chronicle )

Fantasy Impact: James Harden left the game but it is also the pre-season so it is hard to understand how bad he was hurt. He just banged his knee while chasing a loose ball and the team doesn't seem concerned. Look for the Rockets to rest him on Tuesday against the Suns.

Category: , Injury Updates, Game Recaps

James Harden played for 20 mins shooting 6-13 from the floor for 19 points, six rebounds and 5 assists.

Fantasy Impact: James Harden looked a lot better than Monday night last night against the Mavs. Kevin McHale said he sprained his ankle over the summer pretty badly and needed more minutes to get his rhythm back. Next game inn't until Sunday at home against Orlando.

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Trevor Ariza led the Rockets with 12 points, while James Harden added 11, going 4 for 11 and just 1 of 7 from 3-point range. Ty Lawson finished with 10 points in his Rockets debut. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: James Harden didn't start off great on Tuesday night in Memphis. He ended up with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. He shouldn't have a problem getting back into the groove as the pre-season moves along.

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Harden struggled in Wednesday's elimination loss to the Warriors in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, posting 14 points (2-11 FG, 10-13 FT, 0-3 3Pt), six rebounds, five assists, three steals, and 13 turnovers. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: It was an ugly, ugly finish for Harden and the Houston Rockets in Game 5. This was by far Harden's worst game of the playoffs and perhaps one of the worst in his career. From top to bottom, everything about Harden's game was off and it doesn't help that he set a new playoff record with 13 turnovers. It's going to be a long offseason for the Rockets, but expect them to return as a top team in the Western Conference next season.

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Harden scored 45 points (13-22 FG, 7-11 3Pt, 12-13 FT) with nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 40 minutes during Monday's Game 4 win over the Warriors. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Harden wasn't going to go out without a fight. The Rockets star put up a heroic effort on Monday night and carried the team, once again. Win or lose in Game 5, Harden will continue to play at an elite level.

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Harden had another huge game Thursday against the Warriors, finishing with 38 points (13-21 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 10 rebounds, and nine assists over 41 minutes. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Harden played out of this world on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors. The MVP runner-up outplayed the MVP Stephen Curry and did everything in Game 2 expect propel the Houston Rockets to a win. The great one with the beard fell just shy of a triple-double, again, but he is on fire right now and has now plans of slowing down.

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Harden grazed a triple-double in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, posting 28 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals in 42 minutes of action. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Harden was sensation in the first game of the Western Conference Finals. The runner-up for the MVP carried the Houston Rockets when Dwight Howard left the game and completely took over in the fourth quarter, despite the loss. He may not shoot this well from the field every game, but Harden remains an elite option in this series.

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James Harden capped off Game 7 with 31 points (7-20 FG, 15-18 FG, 2-7 3PT), eight assists, seven rebounds, three steals, one block and seven turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: It wasn't the greatest performance from Harden in terms of shooting from the field, but he lead all scorers with 31 points. Like Harden usually does he found most of his points via the charity stripe. Even though Harden's shooting can be erratic look for him to put up some big numbers against the Golden State Warriors in the next round of the playoffs.

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James Harden triple-doubled in Game 5 to stave off elimination for another night, finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but he left the game late due to an illness.

Fantasy Impact: As good as he had been in the first four games, he managed to elevate his game further on Tuesday night after catching a cold that was bad enough to require an IV earlier on Tuesday. Without Patrick Beverly, and with the Rockets averaging 16.2 turnovers per playoff game, Harden will have to ball this hard in the next one if Houston is to have any shot at tying the series. He'll be good to go for Thursday's road challenge in Los Angeles.

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James Harden finished Game 4 on Sunday night with 21 points (5-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 9-10 FT), eight rebounds, six assists and one turnover.

Fantasy Impact: Despite the blowout loss, Harden was one of the better Houston Rockets in this game. Harden only had one turnover and still managed to fill out the box score rather nicely. With their backs against the wall in Game 5, expect Harden and the Rockets to improve on their Game 4 performance.

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Harden scored 32 points (7-17 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 15-15 FT) with three rebounds, seven assists, one block and one steal in 35 minutes during Wednesday's Game 2 victory against the Clippers. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Turnovers continue to plague Harden (nine in Game 1 and seven in Game 2). Harden's turnovers along with his shooting from the field continue to be hit or miss. Besides those two negatives, Harden should continue to score 25+ points a game and hand out about eight or so assists on top of that. His shooting may be erratic, but Harden should continue to post some nice numbers in this Semifinal matchup against the Clippers.

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James Harden finished Game 1 of the Semifinals with 20 points (6-13 FG,3-6 3PT, 5-6 FT),12 assists, five rebounds, four steals and nine turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: The nine turnovers (one shy of a season-high) were a big blemish on Harden's stat line. Surprisingly, Harden didn't take many shots in this game and only ended up with 20 points. The 12 assists tonight were nice, but the Rockets need Harden to take over on offense and carry their team in this series.

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James Harden had 28 points (9-19 FG, 4-8 3PT, 6-6 FT), eight assists, one rebound and one steal in the Houston Rockets Game 5 victory.

Fantasy Impact: Harden capped off a great series with another impressive outing on Tuesday. It doesn't matter if it is the regular season or the playoffs, Harden continues to produce. The only knock on Harden in this series is his inconsistent shooting from the field, but besides that he has continued to play at an elite level.

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James Harden went crazy on Friday night with 42 points (15-24 FG, 5-7 3PT, 7-7 FT), nine assists, five rebounds and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden went full MVP-mode against the Dallas Mavericks in this one. This game was a high scoring slug fest and Harden joined in on the fun with his 42 points. Even though Harden's scoring total was crazy, he still managed to put up nine assists. Harden has the ability to score 30-plus points every night, so look for his success to continue.

Category: , Game Recaps

Harden finished Game 2 with 24 points (5-17 shooting, 13-13 FG, 1-4 3PT), six assists, five rebounds and one steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden's ability to score points even on an "off" night is remarkable. Most of his damage came from the free throw line in this game and he did not miss a single shot from the charity stripe. Expect a cleaner performance from Harden in Game 3.

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James Harden scored 24 points in Game 1, but most of it came from the foul line as he made 15 of 17 free throw attempts. He was also 4-for-11 from the floor for a total of 24 points. Harden also registered a double-double with 11 assists in his 39 minutes of action.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was getting every call going his way much like he did in the regular season. He shot 824 free throw attempts this season. Harden, the No. 2 scorer in the NBA, will get plenty of opportunities to score in the series, as Dallas does not have anyone who can matchup with the shooting guard.

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James Harden gave OKC's defense fits on Sunday, lighting it up for 41 points on just 22 shots. He also had six rebounds and six assists.

Fantasy Impact: Harden has been extremely efficient with his shot lately, helping fantasy owners in their field goal percentage categories.

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Coming off a career-high 51 points against Sacramento, Harden played a bit sloppily, turning the ball over five times in Dallas. Despite the turnovers, Harden still had 24 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: This might be considered a down game for Harden given his MVP-caliber production, but he still is providing great value for fantasy owners.

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Harden had himself a monster night, scoring 51 points, six assists, eight rebounds, and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: Harden scored very efficiently tonight (16/25 FG, 11/13 FT) and hit eight threes. It wasn't all perfect as he did have seven TO's, though owners probably won't care about that too much.

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James Harden did all he could in Houston's loss north of the border, going for 31 points, five boards and five assists in 38 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to produce consistently for the Rockets, making him one of the most valuable players in the game for fantasy purposes.

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Harden struggled shooting the ball (7/20) but still managed to score 24 points thanks to 9/10 FT shooting.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was able to chip in six assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a big block at the end of the game that stifled the Wizards comeback hopes.

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Harden put up 25 points and dished out 10 assists, leading the Rockets to a big win in New Orleans. He also chipped in six boards, a block and an assist.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to produce in multiple categories, giving fantasy owners in the playoffs everything they could hope for.

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James Harden put up 44 points on just 21 shots against the Pacers on Monday. He also had a pair of blocks, a pair of steals and seven assists in the Rockets' win.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is doing all he can for his fantasy owners in the playoffs at the moment. His hot streak is well-timed for his drafters.

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James Harden had a night to remember on Thursday, putting up 50 points on just 24 shots against the Denver Nuggets.

Fantasy Impact: A solid night from Harden is welcome for fantasy owners after a few disappointing outings. His outburst has great timing, helping fantasy owners in their playoff matches.

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Harden scored 34 points while dishing out seven assists and hauling in seven rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: Harden was finally able to have a good game against the Clips. He was his usual efficient self (17/18 FT), while also knocking down three 3's.

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Harden had a tough time scoring on Thursday against the Jazz, going 3-of-13 from the field and missing all five of his three-point attempts. He was able to get seven assists, three steals and four rebounds in the Rockets' loss.

Fantasy Impact: As the Jazz have become an elite defensive team, Harden's struggles against Utah do not portend struggles elsewhere. He is still an elite option at the guard position.

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Harden was only able to score 18 points on 19 shots vs the Blazers. However, he was able to chip in six assists and three steals.

Fantasy Impact: Owners should not expect this level of inefficiency from Harden too often of the course of the rest of the season.

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After realizing his shot was not falling, James Harden turned into a playmaker against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. Despite only getting to the line twice, Harden finished with 18 points, 13 assists and four rebounds.

Fantasy Impact: Even when Harden fails to get to the line, he still gives fantasy owners a ton of value, as shown by his double-digit assists.

Category: , Game Recaps

Rockets superstar James Harden has been suspended one game by the NBA for kicking LeBron James Sunday. Harden received a flagrant foul for kicking James in the groin in the third quarter of the Houston's overtime victory over Cleveland. Harden will miss Tuesday's game in Atlanta. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Missing Harden for a big showdown with the top team in the East, is huge for the Rockets. Harden is having an MVP caliber season as he is posting 27.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. Corey Brewer and Jason Terry will get an increase in minutes in Harden's absence with Brewer likely earning the start. Harden will be back Wednesday as the Rockets face off with the Grizzlies.

James Harden put up 33 points, 15 of which came up the charity stripe, against Cleveland on Sunday evening. Harden also chipped in eight boards, five dimes, three steals and two blocks in the OT win.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to produce thanks to his knack for getting to the line. As one of this year's fantasy MVPs, there is no reason to bench Harden in the near future.

Harden was able to put up 33 points to go along with five assists, eight rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.

Fantasy Impact: This game was business as usual for Harden, scoring efficiently and taking a lot of free throws (15/18 at the charity stripe). He was also able to knock down a pair of three's.

Category: , Game Recaps

Rockets coach Kevin McHale stated on Friday that he believes James Harden will play Friday evening against Brooklyn, despite an ankle injury. (Source: Twitter.com)

Fantasy Impact: If Harden plays, he's definitely worth starting, so make sure to get him in your lineup.

Harden stuffed the stat sheet against the Wolves, putting up 31 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. He also was able to chip in with one steal and four blocks.

Fantasy Impact: Harden owners can't really be too surprised by this stat line as he's been one of the best fantasy options this season. Look for him to keep doing more and more while Dwight Howard is out.

Harden contributed across the board with his 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two triples in 29 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to cement his MVP status with every game. Harden is a two-way player, contributing in offensive and defensive categories. Only injury can stop him from ascending to top five value in fantasy basketball.

James Harden's MVP campaign continued with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and three triples. He also shot 11-of-13 from the free throw line.

Fantasy Impact: Harden did his best to carry his team in a crucial game in the Western Conference. However, it wasn't enough, and the Mavericks came away with the victory. As for Harden, only injury can slow down his MVP season.

Harden's shot was off, and he finished 3-of-12 with nine points. He also added five rebounds, six assists, three steals and five turnovers.

Fantasy Impact: This game was the second half of a back-to-back. He also scored 40 points in his last game, and perhaps, he was already thinking of the All-Star game this weekend. He'll bounce back strong in his next game.

Harden's MVP campaign continued in the Rockets road win. He finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, three triples and a block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a must start in all leagues. He is also a must start in DFS, as he has been crushing it lately. Consider yourself lucky if you have him on your roster.

Harden had a monster game, finishing with 45 points, eight assists, nine rebounds, and two steals, also hitting four threes.

Fantasy Impact: He was 11-25 from the field and 19-23 from the charity stripe. Harden has been an absolute fantasy monster all year and owners should be happy to have him.

James Harden led the Rockets with 33 points Friday as Houston defeated Milwaukee 117-111. Harden was 9-14 from the floor including 3-6 from behind the Arc. The shooting guard went to the line a whopping 17 times, making 12 of his attempts. Harden also added three rebounds, five assists and one steal in 40 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden continues to lead the NBA with 27.1 points per game. With Dwight Howard out indefinitely, the Rockets are going to need more 30 plus point nights from Harden, if they want to maintain their number three seed out west.

The NBA announced that Rockets guard James Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of January. Harden won for his second consecutive month as he won the award for December 2014 as well. This was the first time a Rockets player has ever won the award in consecutive months. Harden averaged 25.8 points, 6.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game in the month of January. (Source: NBA.com)

Fantasy Impact: An impressive feat for Harden who is currently in the lead for MVP of the entire association this season. He leads the NBA in points per game (27.0 ppg) as he has led Houston to the third seed out west. With Dwight Howard out for an extended period of time, Harden will need to step his game up if the Rockets want to maintain home-court advantage in a first round series.

During the first half of the Rockets 114-101 loss to Detroit, James Harden took a hard fall and went to the locker room. Harden returned after a few minutes without a limp. He finished the game with 26 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals in 36 minutes.

Fantasy Impact: Harden gave fantasy owners a scare, but the knee bruise does not seem likely to affect his future playing time. Harden continues to play like a fantasy MVP with averages of 27.0 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game this season.

Without Dwight Howard, the Rockets relied on MVP candidate James Harden. He responded with 17 points and eight assists in 38 minutes of play. He also added four steals, five rebounds and a trey.

Fantasy Impact: Harden already has a high usage rate, and it can go even higher without Howard in the lineup. He is on a ridiculous pace, and will be a top three finalist for the MVP award.

Harden had a quiet night compared to what we've grown accustomed to, only scoring 17. He did chip in eight assists, five boards, and four steals and one three-pointer.

Fantasy Impact: While this was not one of Harden's most prolific scoring games, he did get his points efficiently, going 7/14 from the field, and 2/3 from the line.

James Harden led all scorers, as he led the Rockets past the Suns. The MVP candidate capped the night with a double double, scoring 33 points and dishing out 10 assists. Harden hit 14-of-17 free throws, and he added six rebounds, three treys, three steals and a block.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a fantasy beast. Congratulations if you had him for your DFS lineup.

James Harden did his best to carry his team, but his effort was not enough as the Warriors won 126-113. Harden finished the night with 33 points, six assists, three treys, four rebounds, two steals and a block. Harden also made 14-of-16 free throw attempts.

Fantasy Impact: This game was a battle of MVP candidates. Harden had more points than Stephen Curry, but Curry's team got the win. Congratulations if you hit the draft lottery with Harden. He will be a stat monster for the rest of the way.

James Harden's MVP season continued in the Rockets' win over the Pacers. Harden hit seven treys and made 14-out-of-15 free throw attempts. He added seven assists, four steals and a block.

Fantasy Impact: He did commit five turnovers, but fantasy owners would gladly exchange that for this dream stat line from Harden. He's a top five fantasy asset. Count your blessings if you landed him in the draft.

The Warriors held James Harden to 4-out-of-15 field goals. The MVP candidate capped the night with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: He was covered by Klay Thompson, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. Thompson ended the night with five blocks, and did a good job containing Harden. Harden should bounce back in his next game.

James Harden hit six treys in Houston's win over the Thunder. He finished the night with 31 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds and a steal.

Fantasy Impact: Harden is a legitimate MVP candidate and a clear top five player this year. Consider yourself blessed if you had the opportunity to draft him.

James Harden only tallied 11 points, two rebounds and three assists in a blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans Friday.

Fantasy Impact: Harden only played 25 minutes due to the game being a blowout, but the Rockets don't get blown out often; therefore, owners shouldn't worry that Harden playing under 30 minutes will be a common occurrence.

James Harden struggled shooting form the floor Saturday but still managed to post 18 points. Harden was 5-16 from the floor including 2-7 from three, but was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. Harden made up for shooting with a career high 14 assists. He also grabbed six rebounds in his 39 minutes on the floor.

Fantasy Impact: A contender for fantasy player of the year, Harden is leading the league with a 26.3 point per game scoring average. Even when he has an off night, for his standards, Harden makes up for it with his multi-category dominance. Sit back and enjoy the ride to the top all season long.

James Harden scored a season high 44 points on 14 of 32 from the field and 13 of 15 from the free throw line. He also recorded four rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and one block in 48 minutes. Harden is averaging 31 points over the past six games.

Fantasy Impact: The combination of no Dwight Howard and extra minutes in overtime helped Harden post huge numbers, but even on an "average" night for harden this season, he is still proving to be a top five fantasy player. With Harden averaging an NBA leading 26.4 points per game, any owner lucky enough to have him should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

James Harden continues his strong start to 2014-2015. (Source: Houston Chronicle)

Fantasy Impact: Harden led off the 2014-2015 season with 32 points against the Lakers and followed that up with 18 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds last night against the Jazz. Harden only shot 33% from the field yesterday and went to the free throw line ten less times than on Tuesday night (16 vs. 6), but he is finding ways to be a part of the Rockets game plan without just scoring. Harden only had one rebound and six assists against Los Angeles in the first game and his involvment in the offense was seen more last night. The good of the ten assists and eight rebounds has to be taken in with the bad of six turnovers and five fouls, though, and Harden needs to turn the ball over less. He has been top-5 in the NBA in turnovers in each of the past two seasons so that is something to watch for in the future, but fantasy owners should buy into Harden's aggressive nature that leads to his elite scoring.

James Harden scores 32 points in a road victory over the Lakers to begin the season. (Source: Houston Chronicle)

Fantasy Impact: Harden added six assists to his game high 32 points last night, solidifying his place as one of the premier scorers in basketball. The Lakers may not have a strong backcourt, but there are many who think that Harden will contest for a scoring title this year. Over his two years with Houston, Harden has averaged 25.7 points per game and is shooting an average of 17 times from the field and 10 times from the line. Considering that Harden is a good shooter from both the field, nearly 50% on 2 pointers and 37% on three pointers, and from the free throw line, a career 85% shooter, it is not crazy to think that if he were to shoot 18-20 times per game that Harden scores about 27 or 28 points per game. Considering that Carmelo Anthony thinks he will score less in the Triangle, Kevin Durant is injured, and that LeBron James now has to play with Kevin Love, it is not farfetched to think that the scoring leader will have about 27 or 28 points per game. Harden is a top-5 player who could even be a top-3 player by the time the season ends.