Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart (forearm) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks with a left forearm strain. The 32-year-old was a late addition to the injury report and had been in line to start with Fred VanVleet (knee) sitting the second leg of the back-to-back. Smart has averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 23.5 minutes through two games. Reed Sheppard (knee) returns at a good time for Houston and should get a longer look on the ball with Smart and VanVleet both unavailable.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (knee) is set to return Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks after sitting out Friday's win over San Antonio, according to The Athletic's Will Guillory. The 22-year-old had three points, four assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 16 minutes in the opener against Dallas before missing one game with a left knee bone bruise. With Fred VanVleet (knee) and Marcus Smart (forearm) both out, Sheppard has a clear path to more minutes and ballhandling work alongside Amen Thompson. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 threes, and 1.5 steals last season, making Saturday a good opportunity to show what he can do with a larger role.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's home opener against the San Antonio Spurs due to rest, according to Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports. The 34-year-old is coming off a 24-point effort in Friday's win over Indiana and has averaged 19.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.5 minutes through two games since returning from ACL surgery. Cooper Flagg (shoulder) is also unavailable, leaving Dallas short on creators and opening the door for Marcus Sasser to see more run while Naji Marshall takes on a bigger share of the ballhandling. Irving's usage on back-to-backs will be worth tracking as Dallas continues to manage his return.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Cooper Flagg (shoulder) will miss Saturday's home opener against the San Antonio Spurs after an MRI revealed a mild left shoulder sprain, according to Marc Stein. Flagg will be re-evaluated next week after landing hard following Aaron Nesmith's flagrant foul late in Friday's win over Indiana. The reigning Rookie of the Year opened the season with 32 points against Houston, making the early setback a frustrating one for fantasy managers. Dallas plays three times next week beginning Monday in Miami. Naji Marshall should have a larger role while Flagg is sidelined, while P.J. Washington remains heavily involved after posting 20 points and 13 rebounds Friday.