Memphis

Grizzlies

Aldama spearheaded an impressive effort from the Memphis reserves in this one as the Grizzlies got a staggering 69 bench point, including double-digit performances from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jock Landale and Cam Spencer, to power the club to their seventh win over their last nine games. Aldama’s unexpected offensive surge helped make up for the absence of scoring machine Ja Morant, who sat this one out with a lingering calf injury. The Grizzlies have just one game next week when they face the Jazz on Friday night.

Edey snapped out of his recent cold spell by recording his fifth double-double of the season, pulling down 10 boards in just 21 minutes before fouling out with just over six minutes left in a lopsided affair against the struggling Trail Blazers. The 23-year-old center is averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.9 blocks through 11 games this season. He’s performing at a near-elite level for fantasy purposes when he’s on the floor.

Wells has been exceptional over the past two weeks, topping 15 points in six of his last seven games during that span, averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals during that span. The 22-year-old guard continues to play big minutes with Ja Moran sidelined with a calf injury and should be rostered in most fantasy leagues at this juncture.

Initially doubtful for Sunday’s game, Morant is officially inactive. Vince Williams Jr. will continue to replace him in the starting lineup, with Cam Spencer playing additional minutes off the bench. While Williams is a solid option for managers needing assists, his low percentages have opened the door for Spencer to emerge as a solid deep-league option.

While the doubtful tag suggests that Morant won’t play on Sunday, the upgrade is a step in the right direction. Vince Williams Jr. will continue to start as long as Ja is unavailable, with Cam Spencer picking up additional minutes off the bench.

Edey’s night was unspectacular from a fantasy basketball perspective. He didn’t dominate in any singular category, but was solid enough across the board to finish with mediocre production. He played 29 minutes in the game, battled on both ends, and ultimately finished as the Grizzlies’ leader in blocks in the win. They’ll play Sunday against the Trail Blazers, where fantasy managers will hope for more production out of Edey.

Spencer was one of several Grizzlies to produce off the bench on Friday in the win. In 29 minutes, he led all Grizzlies in assists and relied heavily on the three-point shot to finish as one of the team’s top scorers on the evening. The second-year guard out of UConn continues to be one of the NBA’s more productive scorers off the bench in recent weeks. He’s now scored in double figures seven straight times and remains a key contributor to Memphis’ recent strong play.

Coward was dominant on Friday for the suddenly surging Grizzlies, who have won six of their last eight games. He used efficient scoring to tally his third 20-point outing of the season, but his most noteworthy contributions came on the glass, where he led all rebounders on the night en route to a new career-high. The rookie forward also tied a career-high in assists before finishing with his fourth double-double of the season. He continues to be a bright spot for the Grizzlies and should remain a productive player in fantasy leagues moving forward.

While Morant participated in portions of Thursday’s practice, he still has not reached the point where he can play in games. Vince Williams Jr. will continue to fill the void as the starting point guard, with Cam Spencer having added value in deep leagues despite coming off the bench.

Morant has been out for two weeks since suffering his calf strain, but appears to be inching closer to returning. There’s a chance that he could return to play against the Clippers on Friday or the Blazers on Sunday. His return would push Vince Williams Jr. back to the bench and could impact some of Zach Edey’s recent uptick in usage.