Memphis Grizzlies: Fantasy Perspective

The Grizzlies are an interesting team when studying for fantasy basketball. The team has a lot of talent and could be home to a number of very good fantasy basketball players this season. However, it’s difficult figuring out which players are the ones that are going to be worth going after.

The only surefire fantasy player on their team is Pau Gasol. Gasol is a bigman who is going to stuff the stat sheets. He’ll see a lot of touches in the post and with improved teammates, his statistics should rise. Gasol could easily finish the season as one of the most valuable fantasy players in the entire NBA.

Other than Gasol, there are a lot of question marks. Here’s a look at some other Memphis players and their possible fantasy potential:

Mike Miller – Miller is a pretty safe fantasy pick. As long as he’s healthy, he’s going to give you consistent stats. He can shoot, score, rebound a little bit and picks up assists in bunches.

Rudy Gay – Gay is seemingly a starter this season. And coming off his rookie year, he could be due for a breakout season. He’s very talented, very athletic and wants to be a good player. If he lives up to his potential, he could be a fantasy monster similar to Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats.

Darko Milicic – Milicic got a big free agent deal this summer and should see consistent minutes with the Grizzlies. That said, going by preseason, it doesn’t appear that Milicic will be a starter coming out of the gates. If Milicic isn’t starting, his stats will probably be wildly inconsistent.

Stromile Swift – Fantasy owners are well aware of the allure of Swift. Swift has been fooling fantasy owners for years. Is this finally the year that Swift lives up to his potential? One thing going for him is it appears that he will be the opening day starting center.

Damon Stoudamire – Stoudamire is an interesting case because while he’s been starting in preseason, he has some very talented players behind him. Memphis has a lot of different options at point guard but if Stoudamire starts and plays big minutes, he’s a very capable fantasy player.

Kyle Lowry – Lowry is another option at point guard. He played really well early last season before getting hurt. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to say that Lowry could be starting at some point this season. That said, the point guard competition on this team is fierce.

Mike Conley, Jr. – The Grizzlies used their fifth pick in the draft on Conley, however he might currently be the team’s third string point guard. As long as Stoudamire and Lowry stay ahead of him in the rotation, Conley doesn’t have much fantasy value – despite the fact that Memphis drafted him so high.

Juan Carlos Navarro – Navarro is a rookie from Spain who has been an international star for years. It’ll be interesting to see how he translates to the NBA. One thing is for sure – this guy will not be afraid to shoot the ball. While he can play point guard, he looks to be playing shooting guard in Memphis. This season, expect him to be a streaky scorer who comes off the bench. However, he has potential to be more, especially if he’s inserted into the starting lineup.

Hakim Warrick – Warrick is the forgotten man on this Grizzlies squad. Not too long ago, he seemed to be a fantasy sleeper that could produce. Now it’s not guaranteed that Warrick will even be in the Grizzlies’ rotation. That said, he’s talented enough that he’ll likely find a way to crack the rotation at some point this season.

Tarence Kinsey – Kinsey became a fantasy option late in the season last year when he produced well when given time. This season, he has a lot of other players around him that will demand minutes. With that in mind, if Kinsey somehow does carve out a niche for himself, he’s yet another player with good fantasy potential.

Marc Iavaroni – While not a fantasy player, new head coach Marc Iavaroni deserves mention when it comes to fantasy basketball. Iavaroni was the lead assistant with the Phoenix Suns over the last several seasons and he’s expected to bring a similar style to Memphis. If he succeeds in doing so, that’ll be great news for the fantasy potential of his team.