Jaren

Jackson Jr.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins said that they’re anticipating the injury being a strain, which means that they will likely turn to Santi Aldama to run with the starters during training camp. If this is an injury that lingers over the next three weeks, Aldama could start the season as part of the starting lineup. This is a situation worth keeping an eye on.

Neither Jackson nor Bane is dealing with a severe injury, but the lingering nature of their ailments makes them unlikely to play again this season. Given how Memphis’ season has gone, it’s unsurprising that the team would shut down its two stars. The absences of Jackson and Bane open up significant playing time for Scotty Pippen Jr., Jordan Goodwin, and Trey Jemison during the final week of the regular season.

Jackson and Aldama remain sidelined, which boosts the values of players such as GG Jackson and Trey Jemison. Expect to see a lot of those guys during the final week of the regular season, as the Grizzlies are playing for draft lottery odds.

Two of the three stars in Memphis will once again be sidelined, and managers shouldn’t expect to see them much for the rest of the season. GG Jackson, Jordan Goodwin and Scotty Pippen Jr. should continue to thrive in their absence.

Jackson Jr. was playing too well, so now he will join his co-star on the sidelines for Friday’s game. That will open up a ton of minutes and shots for young guys, which should allow for Scotty Pippen Jr., Jordan Goodwin, GG Jackson and Jake LaRavia to have a chance to provide really strong value.

Two games ago, Jackson Jr. was held to just four points in an ugly loss to the Magic. In the two games since then, he is averaging 37.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 2.0 triples while shooting better than 50% from the floor in each of those games. That has helped them win both of those games, with this one coming against one of the best teams in the league. This was a reminder of just how good JJJ is, and while this season has been disappointing, he should bounce back next year.

What a night for Jackson, who took full advantage of the Pistons losing Jalen Duren (tooth) during the first quarter of Monday’s game. Trip notched his third 40-point game of the season, and this was his first game with at least 30 since March 6 (30 vs. Philadelphia). Over the past two weeks, Jackson has provided top 100 per-game value in 8-cat formats while ranking just outside that threshold in 9-cat. With the Grizzlies playing out the string, the lone concern for fantasy managers would be Jackson being shut down at some point. For most leagues, managers need him to remain active for the remainder of Week 23.

Jackson Jr. had an off night as a shooter, which was a bit surprising after he had three straight games with at least 25 points. While the offense wasn’t going his way, the defense certainly was. He had six “stocks” in this game, which was the most that he has had in a game since January. It has been a disappointing season for JJJ in fantasy, and it has certainly been a disappointing year for his team. They should get back to normalcy next season with Ja Morant healthy, which bodes well for JJJ’s value.

Jackson had a good night in San Antonio, leading the Grizzlies in scoring and hitting the game-winner with one second remaining. He has scored at least 25 points in three consecutive appearances, with his efficiency improving substantially after shooting 8-of-27 in Monday’s loss to Sacramento. There are two concerns for Jackson in fantasy basketball for the rest of this season: availability and turnovers. He has missed five of Memphis’ last 12 games, and over the past two weeks, JJJ is averaging 3.8 turnovers per game. Fantasy managers will happily deal with the turnover issue if Jackson can stay on the court. Memphis plays three games in Week 22 without a back-to-back, beginning with the Nuggets on Monday.

While he has provided top 100 per-game value over the past three weeks, availability has been a concern for Jackson. Wednesday’s game was just the sixth he’s played during this stretch, which isn’t great for fantasy managers counting on JJJ for points and blocked shots. Managers in leagues where they can still add a Santi Aldama or GG Jackson may want to consider doing so as insurance if the Grizzlies decide to either lessen Jaren’s workload or sit him. At this point in the season, Memphis is playing for draft odds while evaluating players who are nowhere near as proven as JJJ.