Ja Morant

Ja Morant

23-Year-Old GuardG
Memphis Grizzlies
2022 Fantasy Outlook
Morant made a massive leap forward in production last season. After averaging 19.1 points and shooting 44.9 percent from the field during the 2020-21 season, he averaged 27.4 points and shot 49.3 percent last season. His usage rate skyrocketed to 33.7 percent, and he dazzled on a nightly basis with his ability to finish at the rim. He wasn't just a scorer, either, providing 5.7 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. However, two red flags cap his fantasy upside. First, he only shot 76.1 percent from the free-throw line -- an area where you usually need stellar production from a guard in fantasy to help offset the deficiencies of some forwards and centers. Second, he was limited to 57 games because of injuries. Injury risk comes with using an early-round selection on Morant due to his high-flying, reckless style, but when he's on the floor, he's one of the most valuable fantasy assets out there. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a five-year, $194.3 million contract extension with the Grizzlies in July of 2022.
Personal Bio/PreCareer Summary

Morant was born in 1999 in Dalzell, South Carolina. As both a junior and senior at Crestwood High School, Morant earned South Carolina 3A All-State honors. He was also a three-time Region MVP. As a senior, he averaged 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. Morant finished as the school's all-time leading scorer (1,679 points). Check the South Carolinian out on Twitter (@JaMorant). As a sophomore, Morant was named to the All-America first team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after the 2018-19 season. He was also pegged as the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year. The guard led the nation in assists in 2018-19 season with 331, which were also the sixth most in NCAA single-season history. Morant was also eighth in the country in average scoring (24.5 points) and ninth in double-doubles (20). He was also the MVP of the OVC Tournament after averaging 32.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists en route to the tournament title. Despite losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (to Florida), Morant tied an NCAA first-round record with 16 assists. As a freshman Morant was named to the All-OVC first and All-OVC Newcomer teams. Morant declared for the 2019 NBA Draft after his sophomore season. The Datzell, South Carolina native was drafted No. 2 overal by the Grizzlies.

Turns in big production in loss
GMemphis Grizzlies
March 29, 2023
Morant contributed 36 points (11-28 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 12-12 FT), nine assists, four rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 141-132 loss to the Clippers.
ANALYSIS
Morant didn't play in Tuesday's win over Orlando in the first leg of Memphis' back-to-back set, but he was back in action Wednesday while Desmond Bane (foot), Jaren Jackson (calf) and Tyus Jones (foot) sat out the second game. As a result of his lackluster supporting cast, Morant attempted more shots than he had in any of his previous three games. The Memphis point guard has increased his point total in every game since his return earlier this month from a nine-game suspension. The only downside of his performance Wednesday was that the increased attention from the L.A. defense played a part in Morant's poor efficiency as well as his eight turnovers, which tied a season high.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ja Morant See More
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Yesterday
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Yesterday
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2 days ago
Mike Barner shares his top picks for his Wednesday Yahoo lineups, including P.J. Washington, who's in line for a big role on a depleted Charlotte squad.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, March 28
2 days ago
Dan Bruno looks over Tuesday's slate as Donovan Mitchell leads the surging Cavaliers into Atlanta.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Expected back Wednesday
GMemphis Grizzlies
March 21, 2023
Morant is expected to be available for Wednesday's game against the Rockets, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Out since March 3, Morant's return will provide a welcome boost for a Grizzlies team that's held onto the number two seed in the Western Conference in his absence. The 23-year-old was suspended for eight games by the league after he flashed a gun in an Instagram video, and he also sat out Monday's game against the Mavericks while getting back into game shape.
See All NBA Rumors
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year, Morant's numbers took a step back last season. He ranked 74th in per-game fantasy production as a rookie, with that number dropping to 114th in 2020-21. The main culprit was his decreasing efficiency. All of Morant's shooting percentages fell, with the point guard hitting just 44.9 percent of his field goals and 72.8 percent of his free throws. He's also not a positive in the three-pointers (1.2) or steals (0.9) categories. Obviously, Morant's 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game were excellent, but his real-life reputation far outweighed his fantasy value last season. That said, it's clear that Morant has what it takes to be an elite point guard. His performances in the play-in games and five playoff contests were fantastic. In his final seven appearances, Morant averaged 29.4 points, 7.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.4 threes across 41.3 minutes on 48/37/73 shooting. Morant will need to find a way to become a consistent three-point shooter and stat-accumulating defender to make a massive leap as a fantasy player, but he absolutely has the talent to do it. Plus, he's already proven he can be a nightly 30-and-10 threat with a below-average jumpshot. Based on pure upside, Morant will be a popular selection, potentially as high as the third round, but fantasy managers must be cognizant of the holes in his stat profile over his first two NBA seasons.
The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year, Morant had one of the best first-year point guard campaigns in recent memory. Helping carry a team with extremely low expectations, the Murray State product averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game. He also shot well all around, hitting 47.7 percent of his field goals, 33.5 percent of his 2.7 three-point attempts per game and 77.6 percent of his free throws. Morant also supplied an impressive 15 double-doubles and two triple-doubles in his 67 appearances. Now it's up to Morant to build upon increasingly high expectations in 2020-21, which won't be easy in a Western Conference that appears to be as stacked as ever. The rookie finished with a per-game, eight-category fantasy rank of 63 last season, with his most obvious weakness being three-point shooting, where he converted only 0.9 per contest. Morant was also relatively average on defense, combining for 1.2 steals-plus-blocks. Fantasy managers who are banking on those improvements -- or even improvements elsewhere -- will certainly select Morant higher than he was valued last season, and it wouldn't be surprising if his name was trending in the late-third to early-fourth rounds of most drafts.
Morant will presumably take over the Grizzlies' starting point guard spot, which was vacated as a result of the trade of Mike Conley to the Jazz. Morant, the 2018-19 OVC Player of the Year and Consensus All-American, averaged 24.5 points, 10.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals across 36.6 minutes last year with Murray State. He's lauded for his athleticism and playmaking ability, but an underdeveloped jumpshot and tendency to turn the ball over could be a cause of early struggles in the NBA. Rookie point guards can often get off to a rough start, but fantasy owners should be confident that the rookie will have a big role with the Grizzlies right out of the gate, and Memphis is likely to let Morant get plenty of reps considering the team's rebuilding status. Morant makes for a safer pick in points leagues, where a potentially troublesome field-goal percentage and lack of threes won't damage his fantasy value.
More Fantasy News
Not listed on injury report
GMemphis Grizzlies
March 29, 2023
Morant (thigh) is not listed on the Grizzlies' injury report ahead of Wednesday's game against the Clippers.
ANALYSIS
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Expected to play Wednesday
GMemphis Grizzlies
Thigh
March 28, 2023
Coach Taylor Jenkins said he anticipates Morant (thigh) being able to play in Wednesday's game versus Orlando, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
ANALYSIS
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Officially out Tuesday
GMemphis Grizzlies
Thigh
March 28, 2023
Morant (thigh) has been ruled out against the Magic on Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Doubtful Tuesday
GMemphis Grizzlies
Thigh
March 27, 2023
Morant is doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Magic due to soreness in his right thigh.
ANALYSIS
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Returns to starting lineup
GMemphis Grizzlies
March 26, 2023
Morant contributed 27 points (9-17 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 9-11 FT), three rebounds, six assists and one steal over 29 minutes during Sunday's 123-119 win over the Hawks.
ANALYSIS
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