Memphis

Grizzlies

Coward and Hendricks sat out Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, as it was Memphis’ second game in as many nights. The former’s return will likely mean fewer minutes for Jahmai Mashack, while the latter may siphon minutes away from GG Jackson and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Jerome and Pippen are back after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. Their returns will likely push Javon Small and Rayan Rupert to the bench. Small and Rupert offer limited fantasy value in reserve roles.

Aldama remains out due to right knee injury management. The undersized Grizzlies will continue to rely on Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who is worth the streaming risk in deep leagues.

This has Morant being re-evaluated around March 19, which means he will miss at least two months with this injury. There is a chance he returns shortly after, but this could be nearing the end of the fantasy playoffs in many leagues. Memphis still has plenty of depth at point guard, with Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer and Walter Clayton Jr. also playing large roles with Morant out.

Because it was the team’s second game in as many nights, the Grizzlies played Wednesday’s game without Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. Those absences freed up a few more opportunities for Spencer, even if he was still used in a reserve role. The second-year guard’s seven assists were the most in a game for him since February 20, when Spencer dished out ten in a win over the Jazz. While Jerome, Pippen and Javon Small (11/7/5/2/1 with one three-pointer) may boast higher ceilings since they’ve been in the starting lineup when available, deep-league managers should not sleep on Spencer.

On the same day that he agreed to a multi-year contract that ensured he would be available for the rest of the season, Prosper recorded a solid stat line that only lacked a blocked shot. Given how shorthanded the Grizzlies are in the frontcourt, O-Max should play plenty the rest of the season, even if he’s being used out of position. Rostered in 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Prosper has been close to a top-100 player since the All-Star break.

While he was responsible for five turnovers, Jackson’s overall stat line was a good one for most fantasy managers. He’s now reached double figures in nine straight games and has been close to a top-75 player since the All-Star break. Even though Jackson isn’t a center, Zach Edey (ankle) being ruled out for the rest of the season raises the third-year forward’s fantasy ceiling due to Memphis’s lack of healthy frontcourt players.

Rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Wells’ production has picked up since the All-Star break. He has been an eighth-round player in eight-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. That may not seem like much, but it is a significant improvement on Wells’ output earlier this season. The Grizzlies play once more in Week 19, as they host the Clippers on Saturday.

The Grizzlies are without Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. for Wednesday’s game, as it’s the team’s second in as many nights. Small and Rupert move into the starting lineup, with the former being the better streaming option.

While Coward was initially doubtful after returning from a knee injury on Tuesday, Hendricks was added to the injury report on Wednesday afternoon. Their absences leave the Grizzlies light on wing options, which means even more scoring opportunities for Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson.