With Mike Conley back and healthy, this Memphis team looks so much better on paper, and off paper they have already shown a better ability to compete. Conley moves right back into his starting role that he has had when healthy in Memphis. The Grizzlies lack guard and wing options, so Garrett Temple and Kyle Anderson are guys they have to rely on at shooting guard and small forward. When Dillon Brooks is healthy, he jumps right into that role and is someone Memphis thinks highly of. Jaren Jackson is a rookie who looks destined to be one of the stars of this draft class. He locked down the starting power forward role very quickly, and is a nice piece next to Marc Gasol who is still chugging along as the starting center in Memphis. The Grizzlies are an improved bunch from prior seasons, but health will always be key.
The grindhouse days seem to be over, and injuries have plagued Memphis over the last few seasons. Mike Conley has been dealing with major injuries over the last few seasons, and until proven otherwise it is hard to trust him to play over 70 games. If Conley manages to stay healthy then he will be one of the better mid-range point guards in the league. If Conley goes down then we are looking at Andrew Harrison becoming a full time player. With Tyreke Evans gone there is a lot of usage to go around and more guards will enter the picture to be a primary ball handler.
Dillon Brooks took over a more primary role, and will likely be moved to the shooting guard spot. Brooks is a secondary scorer on this team but has the ability to light it up from the field. MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden, and Kobi Simmons are all interesting young back court players who will get an opportunity to take a step forward. Kyle Anderson was stuck in San Antonio not getting the starter minutes, but that will likely change in Memphis. Anderson is going to put up respectable lines on a nightly basis, but will not pop up to the top of fantasy players at his position. Chandler Parsons, Garrett Temple, and Omri Casspi will gain backup responsibilities, which is going to be a battle to keep an eye on. The front court belongs to Marc Gasol, who is one of the higher usage centers in the league. Gasol stuffs the stat sheet and will continue to be one of the bigs who lead the league in touches. JaMychal Green, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Jarell Martin are all rotating big men, although Green will draw starts most nights. They will provide some value in the fantasy world being sneaky good double-double threats.
