MEM starts Jerome, Coward, Wells, Boozer, Edey

Stewart played 22 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Kings, filling in at center for Zach Edey. With Edey also available for Monday’s game, Beef Stew will come off the bench.

Edey will sit out the first leg of this back-to-back, which means he should be back to take on the Jazz on Monday. Expect Isaiah Stewart to start in his place, with Quinten Post filling out the backup minutes.

Stewart made his official Grizzlies debut on Friday, playing most of his minutes when starting center Zach Edey (8/10/3/1/2) was not on the floor. Unfortunately, Beef Stew picked up four fouls in the first half, including three in the first quarter, which limited him to 16 minutes. It remains to be seen what his role will look like once the ankle is no longer a concern, but Stewart isn’t someone worth rostering in most redraft leagues just yet.

After struggling with his shot in his NBA debut on Wednesday, Boozer had a much better night against the Warriors. The rookie forward made four of his first five three-point attempts and scored 14 points in the first half. By the end of the night, Boozer had made franchise history, becoming the second-youngest Grizzly to record a double-double. Memphis ends its Week 1 with a game against the Kings on Sunday.

The Grizzlies didn’t need Edey to play heavy minutes in this game to get the win. The Grizzlies have a couple of capable backup centers with Isaiah Stewart and Quentin Post. Given Edey’s injury history, it’s very possible that Edey doesn’t get heavy minutes this season, so the fantasy upside is more limited.

Do not panic about the inefficient shooting. He will not shoot 13% from the field for the rest of his career. However, we saw why many fantasy managers were very excited to have him. He got 11 rebounds and 5 assists despite the bad shooting. If he made five more of those shots, it would be an incredible stat line.

Edey made his preseason debut earlier this week after returning from offseason ankle surgery. The 24-year-old big man from Purdue played well in 16 minutes. He had 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Healthy again, Edey is a solid pick in the middle of the fifth-round of fantasy drafts this year.

Stewart’s preseason debut with the Grizzlies lasted just two minutes when he sprained his left ankle in Monday’s game against the Pistons. He has since been diagnosed with a moderate sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Based on the timeline, Stewart will miss the regular-season opener on October 21, but could return shortly after. His absence won’t significantly affect fantasy basketball, especially since Zach Edey is healthy.

Boozer, the third-overall pick from the 2026 NBA Draft, projects as an instantly impactful fantasy contributor in redraft leagues thanks to his unique playmaking ability and all-around skillset. The 19-year-old forward does a little bit of everything from an offensive standpoint as he’s adept at using his size to attack the basket, while also being able to knock down a handful of three-pointers. He’s a phenomenal passer and should be a factor in the rebounding department as well. Simply put, Boozer looks like the type of foundational player that Memphis should be able to rebuild around for years to come. He’s a mid-round selection with plenty of upside as a high-volume all-around contributor in redraft leagues.

Edey made his preseason debut in this one and managed to pile up four rebounds in a statsheet-stuffing performance that lasted just 10 minutes. The 24-year-old center is one of the more challenging big men to forecast for fantasy purposes because he’s shown some flashes of immense all-around potential as an impact interior defender with significant offensive upside. He was limited to just 11 games last year due to lingering left ankle issues that ultimately required season-ending surgery. It’s unrealistic to count on Edey from a volume standpoint, but even a moderately healthy campaign would make him easily worthy of an early-round pick as a top-60 range selection in fantasy drafts this fall.