UPDATE: Morant has been downgraded to doubtful for Thursday’s contest with shoulder soreness.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Ja Morant. Not only has the former All-Star missed two of Memphis past six games, but when he has been available, he just hasn’t been very good. Things aren’t looking much better for tonight’s action, either, as Morant has been added to the Grizzlies’ injury report with shoulder soreness. He is questionable to play against the Rockets.
In all honesty, this might be a blessing in disguise — at least for the purposes of DFS. Morant has not played well in Memphis’ past two contests, averaging a paltry 10.5 points and 4.5 assists. If he is eventually ruled out, it would at least simplify the Grizzlies’ rotation and open up some value on what is a small DraftKings featured slate.
When Morant was unavailable for Memphis’ win over New Orleans on January 24, Luke Kennard stepped into the starting lineup, registering 27 points in only 26.7 minutes of action. Desmond Bane also took over as the team’s lead playmaker, finishing that contest with 14 dimes and a 45.8% assist rate. For the season as a whole, Jaren Jackson Jr. stands out when Morant is sidelined, leading the team by producing 1.45 FPTS per minute with a gargantuan 34.0% usage rate.
If Morant does end up suiting up on Thursday, he’s a clear stay-away at less than 100% health. Even putting aside the recent underwhelming returns, the Rockets are a terrible fantasy matchup, as the team sports the NBA’s fourth-best defensive rating (108.3).
