Vince

Williams Jr.

During the regular season, the Grizzlies went with Vince Williams Jr. as the fifth starter after losing Jaylen Wells to a fractured wrist. However, Pippen was the choice on Tuesday, with his inclusion shifting Ja Morant off the ball. Pippen was solid but not spectacular; we’ll see if the Grizzlies stick with this lineup when they host Dallas or Sacramento on Friday. Williams only played three minutes, going scoreless with one rebound and one assist.

The Grizzlies have rested their entire starting five and a few key reserves for Sunday’s game, as they’re locked into Tuesday’s 7 vs. 8 matchup in the play-in tournament. Of the five starters, Williams and Jackson offer the highest ceilings for active fantasy leagues, but Stevens, Bagley and Spencer are worth a look in deeper formats.

Wells took a hard fall on Tuesday night, and the final diagnosis is that he suffered a broken right wrist, a concussion and a facial contusion. None of those injuries should impact his availability for next season, but Memphis will have to finish out this season without him. Wells, who will likely earn All-Rookie honors, averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 triples in 79 games as a rookie after being drafted 39th overall last summer. Vince Williams Jr. should start the rest of the regular season and post season in place of Wells.

Thursday’s game is Memphis’s first since losing Jaylen Wells to a fractured wrist. Williams, who offers a higher offensive upside, will replace him in the lineup. However, Wells has been the superior defender despite being a rookie.

Wells, who was taken off the court in a stretcher on Tuesday, will continue receiving medical care. He took a hard fall and landed on his head, so this wrist injury is likely not the only ailment that he will be dealing with. A timeline for a return is unclear at this point, but the fact that he is awake is excellent news. Vince Williams Jr. started the second half in place of Wells and will likely remain in the starting unit moving forward.

It was a scary sight in Charlotte as Wells took a hard fall and landed on his head. He was removed from the game on a stretcher. Though there was no ill intent, KJ Simpson was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game. Memphis will likely provide an update on Wells soon, but he won’t be returning to Tuesday’s game. Vince Williams Jr. and Luke Kennard should take on more minutes.

V-Dub has missed three straight games due to an illness, but his appearance at practice bodes well for his availability on Tuesday against the Hornets. If he’s able to go, expect him to handle his normal allotment of minutes.

Williams is set to miss his third straight game with an illness. Luke Kennard figures to see additional minutes with Williams out, though with the Grizzlies’ deep rotation of players that doesn’t necessarily make him fantasy-relevant in standard leagues.

Williams’ continued absence means Luke Kennard should play additional minutes off the bench again. However, he logged 22 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors, which is not enough to make an impact in most fantasy leagues.

Williams Jr. was a late addition to the injury report and will now be held out of Tuesday’s game. Luke Kennard and Cam Spencer should take on extra minutes with Williams Jr. out, but only Kennard has streaming appeal.