Memphis Grizzlies
Team Outlook
The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that you may not be looking to often for fantasy options at the start of the season, but with their aged and injury-prone roster, there almost certainly will be a solid shot at plug-in value plays as the year goes on. The Grizzlies set an NBA record last year for the most players on their roster in a single season (28). While this is far from what an NBA franchise desires, this presents quite the opportunity for an NBA DFS player such as yourself. The Grizzlies run one of the slowest tempo offenses in the league as their team is built on solid defense and has historically struggled in scoring and three-point shooting, so it will take some low salaries and key spots to roster their guys on a regular basis. This focus on defense and lack of overall tempo will bode for avoiding players on both sides of the court, as a team like Memphis will really keep scoring to a minimum.
Projected Starting Lineup
Point Guard: Mike Conley
When heathy, Mike Conley can be a very solid, reasonably priced fantasy option as he has the ability to contribute across multiple stat categories on any given night. New coach David Fizdale will attempt to increase the pace of the Grizzlies’ offense and has even been quoted saying he wants Conley to take on more of a scoring role in the offense. At a position that boasts some of the game’s top fantasy scorers, Conley should come through as a steady value option this season, fitting well as a regular cash game play if his salary stays down.
Shooting Guard: Tony Allen
Tony Allen is a defensive specialist who doesn’t contribute nearly enough on the offensive side of the ball to warrant consideration for fantasy purposes. His minutes were already low, and with Conley turning 35 this season, those minutes will likely fall even more.
Small Forward: Chandler Parsons
Chandler Parsons is still nursing a knee injury that has his status to start the season up in the air. Health is definitely a key concern with Parsons as he has been plagued with injuries throughout his NBA career. His numbers were down in almost every category last season, however Parsons had a very strong finish to last season averaging 17.6 points per game making 51.7% of his shots after the All-Star break. The Grizzlies are expected to feed Parsons this season, and there is a very good chance that he reaches a career high in points per game if he can stay healthy.
Power Forward: JaMychal Green
With the decline of Zach Randolph and new coach David Fizdale trying to pick up the pace of the Grizzlies offense, JaMychal Green is expected to start at power forward this season. Green has never averaged over 20 minutes per game in his short career, and has had very mediocre numbers when he has been on the floor. He will not be a focal point of this offense and should still rotate in and out with Zach Randolph, so you will likely be looking past Green this season.
Center: Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol is one of the best big men in the league when he can stay healthy. Even with his injury woes last season causing Gasol to miss a whopping 29 games, Gasol finished with the 6th highest average points per game among centers while averaging 34 minutes per game (T-1st among centers). This season, the lingering effects of Gasol’s foot injury will be the biggest wildcard. If healthy, he will be a top option at the position as a guy who will be heavily involved in the offense.
Key Bench Players
Wade Baldwin – The Grizzlies put a lot of faith in their future point guard, selecting Wade Baldwin 17th overall in this season’s draft. With a healthy Conley returning, Baldwin should have a minimal impact at first. However, Baldwin has the skills to gain some attention quickly and would be a key target should Conley go down due to injury or be out of the lineup on a maintenance day.
Brandan Wright – With Wright slated to back up Marc Gasol, he has inherent value since the Grizzlies should be very careful with Gasol’s usage throughout the season. Wright is the only other center on this roster, so he will be a guy you want to keep an eye on when Gasol is out of the lineup. He should be close to minimum price each week, so could definitely sneak into a spot on your lineups every once in a while.
Key Offseason Acquisitions
Chandler Parsons – The signing of Chandler Parsons will add some much needed offense to the Grizzlies roster. Coming off a career-high season in the three-point shooting percentage (41.4%), Parsons should add some much needed space to the floor for the Grizzlies to put up points.
Key Offseason Departures
None