X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball Breakouts, Busts, And Locks - Memphis Grizzlies 2023 Outlook

The Grizzlies season ended last year in disappointment. They kicked Dillon Brooks to the curb in an attempt to help remake their image, but Ja Morant isn't helping their cause and will start the season suspended as his off-the-court struggles continue. Marcus Smart is now in town, but the rest of the roster looks quite similar. How will things shake out for fantasy this season with Morant suspended, Tyus Jones in Washington, Dillon Brooks in Houston, and Smart now in the Memphis backcourt?

If you play fantasy football, you'll probably recognize the format here as we had a series of preseason NFL articles that followed the same outline. The idea here is to hone in on players from each team that we see as undervalued for the upcoming season or who are possibly being drafted too high this preseason.

In this piece, you'll find a fantasy basketball breakout candidate, a fantasy basketball bust candidate, and a fantasy basketball lock (think steady production and being drafted correctly) for the Memphis Grizzlies based on early ADP for fantasy basketball drafts for the 2023-2024 season. Be sure to follow me on Twitter / X (@Maxadelphia) for more fantasy basketball insight (amongst other things).

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!

 

Fantasy Basketball Breakout: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Coming into the season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and in line to benefit both from Ja Morant's absence and his return, JJJ is an intriguing fantasy option this year.

In Morant's absence, there are 26.2 PPG from last season to be accounted for. Jackson isn't exactly known for his offensive prowess, but after a summer with USA Basketball, I do see him building on his career-high 18.6 PPG average from last season.

The biggest knock against JJJ last year was that he didn't rebound very well for a big man. At media day, he said improving at rebounding is on his mind, which is great to hear. If Jackson develops into a consistent 20/10 player, his fantasy value will go through the roof.

 

Fantasy Basketball Bust: Derrick Rose

Rose is a legend of the game, so I'll be nice here.

Whoever you take in the 16th round (Rose currently has a mid-16th round ADP) probably won't make or break your fantasy team. You probably can find someone with more long-term upside than a guy going into their 15th season who hasn't played more than 35 games in five years and saw career lows in every single statistical category last year.

I understand that Ja Morant is going to miss a bunch of time, but Derrick Rose just doesn't have much left in the tank and isn't likely to have a statistically significant season.

 

Fantasy Basketball Lock: Marcus Smart

Smart is currently sitting at a mid-ninth-round ADP, which I think would be totally fair *IF* Ja Morant wasn't suspended for 25 games. Morant being suspended for roughly 1/3 of the fantasy basketball season is a big deal, and Smart figures to be the Grizzlies' starting PG until Morant returns.

Smart's best fantasy assets have always been steals + assists, and he should have no issue keeping that up in a starting role. With Smart's arrival in Memphis, the Grizzlies' starting five will feature the two previous Defensive Player of the Year winners, and it stands to reason that the Grizzlies will be one of the best defenses in the NBA this season.

When Morant returns, Smart will likely be relegated to a fringe, but nice to have bench option. Until then, enjoy the first 25 games knowing you drafted the starting PG on a playoff team in the ninth round.

 

Conclusion

Ja Morant's 25-game suspension makes the idea of repeating as the West's #2 seed feel like a seemingly impossible task. The Grizzlies should be stout defensively all year, but without Morant, they lack a true alpha scoring option. I predict a slow, but not disheartening, start to the season will ultimately find the Grizzlies in the 6-7 spot by season's end.

This Grizzlies team has seen the public opinion shift on them in a big way after Morant's incident on Instagram Live, and we can't forget about Dillon Brooks' eventful playoff series against the Lakers. For fantasy, the Grizzlies starters look to face big workloads with no major competition behind them.

Thanks for reading and good luck in your leagues this year!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Player Comparisons
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Keaton Winn3 hours ago

Dealing With Forearm Tightness
Mitch Garver4 hours ago

Dealing With Back Spasms
Mason Miller4 hours ago

Fans Five In Two Scoreless Innings Tuesday
Andrew Vaughn4 hours ago

Homers Twice In Game 2 Tuesday
Kirk Cousins5 hours ago

Jogging, Throwing During OTAs
Sepp Straka5 hours ago

In Excellent Form For PGA Championship
Tom Kim5 hours ago

Trending In The Right Direction For PGA Championship
PGA6 hours ago

Can Tyrell Hatton Put It All Together At PGA Championship?
Jordan Spieth6 hours ago

Needs Consistency At PGA Championship
Joaquin Niemann6 hours ago

To Continue Playing Well At Valhalla?
Marco Luciano6 hours ago

Giants Call Up Prospect Marco Luciano
Patrick Bailey6 hours ago

Goes Back On Injured List
Ronel Blanco6 hours ago

Ejected For Foreign Substance
Collin Morikawa6 hours ago

Rounding Into Form Heading To Valhalla
Ryan Weathers6 hours ago

Flirts With Perfection Against Tigers
Scottie Scheffler7 hours ago

Returns To Action For PGA Championship
Kyle Finnegan7 hours ago

Tallies MLB-High 13th Save
Gerrit Cole7 hours ago

Throws Another Bullpen Session
Russell Henley7 hours ago

An Interesting Name At PGA Championship
Martavis Bryant7 hours ago

To Work Out For Commanders
Evan Phillips7 hours ago

To Throw Off A Mound Wednesday
Jahmyr Gibbs7 hours ago

Could Have Bigger Role In 2024
Mitch Garver7 hours ago

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup
Corey Conners7 hours ago

A Real Dark Horse At PGA Championship
Bobby Miller7 hours ago

To Throw In Sim Game Wednesday
PGA8 hours ago

Can Sungjae Im Keep The Momentum At Valhalla?
Jorge Soler8 hours ago

Hit In Head During Batting Practice
Craig Porter9 hours ago

Jr. Listed As Doubtful For Wednesday
Dean Burmester9 hours ago

Comes Back To PGA Championship
Byron Buxton9 hours ago

To Play In Rehab Games Before Returning
Miles McBride9 hours ago

Moves To Starting Unit For Game 5
Stephan Jaeger9 hours ago

Final Round Last Week Is Troubling
Royce Lewis9 hours ago

Ramping Up His Baserunning
Tyrese Haliburton9 hours ago

Ready For Action Tuesday
Keegan Bradley9 hours ago

Still A Longer Shot For Valhalla
Jarrett Allen9 hours ago

Considered Questionable For Game 5
Blake Snell9 hours ago

To Make Another Rehab Start On Friday
Jung Hoo Lee9 hours ago

MRI Shows "Structural Damage"
Caris LeVert9 hours ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag Ahead Of Game 5
Evan Carter9 hours ago

Still Out, Could Be Back Friday
Donovan Mitchell9 hours ago

Questionable For Wednesday
Nico Hoerner9 hours ago

Scratched With Hamstring Tightness Tuesday
Luka Doncic9 hours ago

Probable For Wednesday's Action
J.T. Realmuto9 hours ago

To Return To The Lineup Wednesday
Roope Hintz9 hours ago

Undergoing Testing For Injury
Shane Lowry10 hours ago

In For Long Week At PGA Championship
PGA10 hours ago

Alex Noren Has Been Very Consistent In 2024
Jeremy Swayman10 hours ago

Remains In Bruins Crease For Game 5
Adam Henrique10 hours ago

Remains Out For Game 4
Akshay Bhatia10 hours ago

Eager To Take On Valhalla
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins10 hours ago

Moving To First Line Tuesday
Calvin Pickard10 hours ago

Poised For First Playoff Start
Brad Marchand10 hours ago

Remains Out On Tuesday
Mike Conley12 hours ago

Added To Injury List
Tony Finau14 hours ago

The Tony Finau Roller Coaster To Continue In Louisville
Cincinnati Bengals14 hours ago

Trey Hendrickson Committed To The Bengals
Matt Fitzpatrick14 hours ago

Looking For Consistency En Route To Valhalla
Kansas City Chiefs14 hours ago

Chiefs To Start Title Defense Against Ravens
NFL14 hours ago

Jets-49ers To Face Off On Monday Night In Week 1
Wyndham Clark14 hours ago

Looks To Right His Rough PGA Championship History
Bijan Robinson14 hours ago

Dealing With Ankle Injury
Ludvig Aberg14 hours ago

On Track To Play In PGA Championship
Talor Gooch15 hours ago

Makes Valhalla Debut
P.J. Washington18 hours ago

Remains Sharp In Game 4 Against Thunder
Kyrie Irving18 hours ago

Limited To Nine Points In Game 4 Loss
Luka Doncic18 hours ago

Records Second Triple-Double Of Postseason
Marquez Valdes-Scantling18 hours ago

Signs With Bills
Jalen Williams18 hours ago

Has Rough Shooting Night In Game 4
Chet Holmgren19 hours ago

Contributes Well At Both Ends Monday
Luguentz Dort19 hours ago

Sinks Three Triples En Route To 17 Points
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander19 hours ago

Extends 30-Point Streak To Three Games
Martin Necas19 hours ago

Ends Dry Spell With Pair Of Points
Evgeny Kuznetsov19 hours ago

Scores Game-Winner As Hurricanes Stay Alive
Miro Heiskanen19 hours ago

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Outing
Wyatt Johnston19 hours ago

Racks Up Three Points In Game 4 Win
Devon Toews20 hours ago

Out From Avalanche Lineup With An Illness
Valeri Nichushkin20 hours ago

Suspended For Six Months
Mitchell Robinson1 day ago

Undergoes Another Ankle Procedure
Caris LeVert1 day ago

Can't Lead Cleveland To A Win
Evan Mobley1 day ago

Just Misses A Double-Double On Monday
Max Strus1 day ago

Plays Well In Game 4
Darius Garland1 day ago

Has A Big Night On Monday
Derrick White1 day ago

Fizzles Offensively Versus Cleveland
Marquez Valdes-Scantling1 day ago

Making A Stop In Buffalo
Courtland Sutton1 day ago

Remains Away From The Team
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Snaps Winless Streak With Second Darlington Victory
NASCAR1 day ago

Bubba Wallace Earns Much-Needed Good Finish At Darlington
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Sees Positives In Below-Average Day At Darlington
Nikita Zadorov1 day ago

Fined $5,000 For Cross-Check
Justin Haley1 day ago

Gets Best-Ever Finish For Rick Ware Racing
Brad Marchand1 day ago

Remains Day-To-Day Ahead Of Game 5
Frederik Andersen1 day ago

Set To Start Game 5
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Unlikely To Play In Game 5
Alexandar Georgiev1 day ago

Hopes To Bounce Back From Two Defeats Monday
Jonathan Drouin1 day ago

On Track To Return On Monday
Carson Soucy1 day ago

Suspended For One Game
Jared Goff1 day ago

Agrees To Four-Year, $212 Million Extension
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Wins Stage, but Crashes Out at Darlington Due to Cut Tire
Todd Gilliland1 day ago

Slow Pit Stops Foil Todd Gilliland at Darlington Despite Impressive Speed
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Taken Out of Win, but Increased Aggression Working for Him
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

Despite Crash, Ryan Blaney Had One of His Best Darlington Runs
Cincinnati Bengals1 day ago

Trey Hendrickson Attending Voluntary Workouts Despite Trade Request
Tampa Bay Buccaneers2 days ago

Antoine Winfield Jr. Reaches Four-Year Agreement With Buccaneers
Joaquin Buckley2 days ago

Extends Win Streak
Nursulton Ruziboev2 days ago

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Carlos Ulberg2 days ago

Stuns With 12-Second Knockout
Alonzo Menifield2 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC St. Louis
Alex Caceres2 days ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Sean Woodson2 days ago

Extends Win Streak
Stuart Skinner2 days ago

Continues To Struggle Against Canucks
Quinn Hughes2 days ago

Registers Two Helpers In Game 3 Win
Michael McDowell2 days ago

Finishes 10th at Darlington Raceway
Chase Briscoe2 days ago

Delivers Value In DFS At Darlington Raceway
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Darlington Dominance Ends With Disappointment
Noah Gragson2 days ago

Quietly Scores Another Top-15 Finish At Darlington
Josh Berry2 days ago

Ends Up Third At Goodyear 400
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Holds On For Second Place At Darlington
Robelis Despaigne3 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss At UFC St. Louis
Waldo Cortes-Acosta3 days ago

Gets Upset Win At UFC St. Louis
Mateusz Rębecki3 days ago

Mateusz Rebecki Gets TKO'd At UFC St. Louis
Diego Ferreira3 days ago

Pulls Off Upset At UFC St. Louis
Rodrigo Nascimento3 days ago

Gets Finished At UFC St. Louis
Derrick Lewis3 days ago

Records KO Win At UFC St. Louis
Denny Hamlin3 days ago

The Best Active Driver At Darlington
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Should Dominate Early At Darlington
Noah Gragson3 days ago

A Core DFS Play At Darlington
William Byron3 days ago

A Strong Pick For Darlington
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Still Confident Despite Hitting Wall In Qualifying At Darlington
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Could Be A Contender At Darlington Despite Poor Track Record
NASCAR3 days ago

Bubba Wallace Needs A Good Run At Darlington
Jarvis Landry4 days ago

Works Out With Jaguars Friday
Jayden Daniels4 days ago

Impresses During Rookie Minicamp
Rome Odunze4 days ago

Sitting Out With Hamstring Tightness
Bo Nix4 days ago

Signs Rookie Deal With Broncos
Aidan O'Connell5 days ago

The Early Favorite To Start For Raiders
Kirk Cousins5 days ago

"Pretty Much Full-Go" This Offseason
Zay Jones5 days ago

Signing With Cardinals
Gabe Davis5 days ago

Working Through Knee Injury
Nursulton Ruziboev5 days ago

Set For A Co-Main Event
Joaquin Buckley5 days ago

To Fight In Co-Main Event Of UFC St. Louis
Carlos Ulberg5 days ago

Has A Tough Test In Front Of Him
Alonzo Menifield5 days ago

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sean Woodson5 days ago

Looks For Fifth Win In A Row
Alex Caceres5 days ago

Set To Face Sean Woodson At UFC St. Louis
Waldo Cortes-Acosta6 days ago

Looks To Extend Win Streak At UFC St. Louis
Robelis Despaigne6 days ago

Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UFC St. Louis
Mateusz Rębecki6 days ago

Mateusz Rebecki A Big Favorite At UFC St. Louis
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF