Jaren Jackson

While Memphis' 2023-24 was a disaster, Jackson's season was a mixed bag. Without Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart for nearly the entire campaign, Jackson averaged career highs in points (22.5), assists (2.3) and steals (1.2). However, his rebounding and shot-blocking took major steps back. His rebounds dropped from 6.8 per game in 2022-23 to 5.5 last year, while his blocks per game went from 3.0 to 1.6. Despite his size (6-foot-10), Jackson has never been a great rebounder, but the drop in defensive production is worrisome, as that was his main attraction in fantasy over the previous two seasons when he finished inside the top 30 in eight-category leagues. The Grizzlies returning to full strength in 2024-25 may help Jackson shift his focus back to defending the rim, but that would also mean his offensive numbers take a hit. There's always value in a player capable of hitting multiple threes and blocking multiple shots on any given night, especially in category leagues, but Jackson may never be a top-tier fantasy option.

Jackson is coming off a breakout season, where he won Defensive Player of the Year, was a first-time All-Star selection, was a second consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and finished his second successive season as the NBA blocks leader. Jackson has improved his blocks-per-game average each year (aside from 1.6 per game in 2019-20 and 2020-21), culminating with a career-high 3.0 blocks per game last season. He also averaged career-highs of 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while improving his ability to get to the foul line, with a career-high 4.9 free-throw attempts per game, despite averaging fewer field-goal attempts than the previous season. Finally, he tied his career-high 50.6 percent shooting from the field, which was initially set in his rookie season. Jackson played 63 games in 2022-23 after missing nearly the first month of action due to rehabbing from surgery on a stress fracture in his foot during the preceding offseason. Nonetheless, he returned with a bang. Looking ahead, Jackson should continue to thrive as one of the league's best rim protectors and a multi-dimensional offensive threat. Notably, the Grizzlies will face a period of adjustment to start the season, with Ja Morant (suspension) sidelined for 25 games, while they also parted ways with long-time backup point guard Tyus Jones. As a result, newly acquired Marcus Smart is expected to begin the season as the team's starting point guard. It's possible that results in more shots for Jackson early in the year.

Jackson has the skillset to be an elite fantasy option. No, he's not a great rebounder for his size, never averaging more than 5.8 rebounds per game for his career. However, he provides an excellent mix of three-point shooting and defensive stats. Last season, he averaged 1.6 three-pointers, 0.9 steals and 2.3 blocks across 27 minutes per game. A deep Grizzlies roster and foul trouble often limited his playing time, but if he was ever unleashed for more than 30 minutes per game, the sky is the limit. Unfortunately for Jackson, he suffered a stress reaction in his right foot that required surgery. He had the procedure at the end of June, and the timetable for his return was 4-to-6 months. That means we might not see Jackson again until January. As previously mentioned, the Grizzlies have the depth to cover his loss, specifically with Brandon Clarke likely to step into an expanded role. That means when Jackson does eventually return, the Grizzlies can be cautious with him, slowly ramping up his minutes and potentially sitting him out of one half of back-to-back sets. While Jackson might be worth a late-round pick in leagues that have IR spots, it's difficult to justify selecting him any earlier than that.

Jackson has struggled staying healthy in his first three years in the league, as he's appeared in just 126 games. However, he's shown intriguing upside. He's a career 37.4 percent three-point shooter and registers a combined 3.1 blocks-plus-steals per 36 minutes. Notably, in 2019-20, he ranked as the 65th-best fantasy player on a per-game basis behind 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in 28.5 minutes. He should be in position to repeat those numbers this season, and there's reason to believe he'll see more minutes if he stays healthy. For that reason, there will certainly be fantasy managers looking to aggressively target Jackson earlier than the sixth round, banking on the 22-year-old both improving and seeing more minutes on a team that's featuring him as a key rebuilding piece.

For the second year in a row, Jackson struggled to stay on the court, as injuries caused him to miss 17 games in his sophomore season. When he was healthy, however, his numbers showed an improvement from his rookie campaign. Jackson went for 17.4 points, 4.6 boards, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists -- all career highs. His increased scoring was largely due to his increased usage and improved efficiency from beyond the arc. Jackson knocked down 39.4 percent of his three-point attempts, and he canned 2.5 triples per contest, as well. While not an elite rebounder, Jackson's ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor and step out for an outside shot made him a respectable fantasy play in his limited appearances. As the Grizzlies' starting power forward for the foreseeable future, his role could yield quality fantasy numbers, though his health obviously remains a concern. Notably, he will not be ready for the start of the upcoming season due to recovery from a torn mensicus. The emergence of Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Clarke in the frontcourt could cap his upside, too, though Jackson still has top-50 potential on a per-game basis if he can continue to evolve as a rebounder and defender.

Jackson's rookie season was cut short due to injury, but he was impressive in 58 appearances. The Michigan State product averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 boards and 2.3 combined blocks/steals across 26.1 minutes per contest en route to an All-Rookie First Team selection. Those averages increased substantially in 20 games with at least 30 minutes, going for 18.7 points, 6.0 boards and 3.0 combined steals/blocks. The big man showed promise as a three-point shooter, canning 1.0 triples per game at a serviceable 35.9 percent clip. Jackson has enormous upside as the starting power forward on a rebuilding team, and he's likely to see an increase in playing time in his sophomore campaign. Jackson is an excellent two-way player who can provide valuable fantasy production on both ends of the court. The 19-year-old projects as an early-to-mid round pick across most season-long formats and even more valuable as a dynasty league prospect.

Jackson was nabbed by the Grizzlies with the fourth overall pick after just one season at Michigan State. The 18-year-old averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 3.0 blocks while draining 39.6 percent of his 2.7 three-point attempts per contest. At 6-foot-11, Jackson certainly has the size to fill in at the five if necessary, although he's currently projected to compete with JaMychal Green for the starting power forward role. Given his impressive two-way skills and Memphis' overall lack of depth, Jackson could play a significant role right from the onset of his first pro campaign, especially if the returning Mike Conley is subject to any early-season limitations that create even more of a need for offensive contributions. Moreover, taking Marc Gasol's own impressive floor-spacing skills into account, Jackson stands to benefit from plenty of one-on-one matchups that his skill set should allow him to capitalize on.