Ja Morant

Ja Morant

25-Year-Old GuardG
Memphis Grizzlies
GTD
Injury Back
Est. Return 12/21/2024
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Morant's 2023-24 season was delayed due to a 25-game suspension for his off-court conduct. After getting cleared, Morant looked like his usual superstar self, averaging 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.6 blocks in 35.3 minutes across nine appearances. However, in his ninth game, Morant suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery, shutting the dynamic point guard down for the remainder of the campaign. Morant wasn't the only player who missed time for Memphis last season as the Grizzlies limped to a 27-55 record, their worst finish since 2017-18. Morant and company are expected to be at full strength by training camp and will have playoff expectations again. However, the Western Conference has only improved in recent years, so Morant will need to be at his best. Morant has only one top-50 eight-category finish in his career -- 46th place in 2021-22 -- and has more fantasy value in points leagues. However, there's no mistaking his talent, and he's the clear No. 1 option in Memphis. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Current Season
From Preseason
#25
ADP
$Signed a five-year, $197.23 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.

Unlikely to play Saturday
GMemphis Grizzlies
Back
December 20, 2024
Morant (back) is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game versus the Hawks.
ANALYSIS
Morant left Thursday's game versus the Warriors earlier due to lower back soreness and is now expected to miss Saturday's contest. With Marcus Smart (shoulder) questionable, Scotty Pippen should be in store for increased playing time.
Read More News
Per Game
Total
Per 36
NBA Per Game Stats
Loading Per Game Stats...
NBA Total Stats
Loading Total Stats...
NBA Per 36 Stats
Loading Per 36 Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2024 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
2023 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
2022 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
2021 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
2020 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
2019 NBA Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Click on any two dates.
Scoring
NBA
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
Sorare
Fanball
Loading Game Log...
Schedule
By Month
Starting/Off Bench
Days Rest
Vs Opp
By Result
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Month
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Starting/Off Bench
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Days Rest
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - Vs Opp
Loading Split Stats...
2024 NBA Per Game Split Stats - By Result
Loading Split Stats...
Advanced Stats
Loading Advanced Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Stat Review
How does Ja Morant compare to other players?
This section compares his stats with all players from the previous three seasons (minimum 200 minutes played)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.
  • True Shooting %
    An advanced statistic that measures a player's efficiency at shooting the ball that takes field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three point percentage into account.
  • Effective Field Goal %
    A statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points while field goals only count for two points.
  • 3-Point Attempt Rate
    Percentage of field goal attempts from three point range.
  • Free Throw Rate
    Number of free throw attempts per field goal attempt.
  • Offensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available offensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Defensive Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available defensive rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Total Rebound %
    An estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while they were on the floor.
  • Assist %
    An estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while they were on the floor.
  • Steal %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent possessions that end with a steal by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Block %
    An estimate of the percentage of opponent two-point field goal attempts blocked by the player while they were on the floor.
  • Turnover %
    An estimate of turnovers committed per 100 plays.
  • Usage %
    An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.
  • Fantasy Points Per Game
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Game.
  • Fantasy Points Per Minute
    NBA Fantasy Points Per Minute.
True Shooting %
56.3%
 
Effective Field Goal %
49.4%
 
3-Point Attempt Rate
29.8%
 
Free Throw Rate
40.8%
 
Offensive Rebound %
3.0%
 
Defensive Rebound %
13.7%
 
Total Rebound %
8.6%
 
Assist %
42.4%
 
Steal %
1.7%
 
Block %
1.4%
 
Turnover %
12.0%
 
Usage %
32.1%
 
Fantasy Points Per Game
40.0
 
Fantasy Points Per Minute
1.4
 
Loading Player Stat Review...
Loading Player Stat Review...
Loading Player Stat Review...
Loading Player Stat Review...
Loading Player Stat Review...
Total
Per Game
Per 36
NBA Historical Fantasy Stats
How are these ratings calculated?
Our historical fantasy ratings are standard scores calculated using 8-Category settings with 12 teams and 13 players per team.
Loading Historical Fantasy Stats...
NBA Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats
Loading Per Game Historical Fantasy Stats...
NBA Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats
Loading Per 36 Historical Fantasy Stats...
Historical ADP
Loading Historical ADP...
Grizzlies Depth Chart
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Grizzlies Rotation: Minutes Breakdown
Loading Grizzlies Rotation Data...
Average Fantasy Points
Average Fantasy Points are determined when Ja Morant was active vs. non-active during the season. Click here to view average fantasy points for a different time period.
Minutes
FanDuel
DraftKings
Yahoo
FantasyDraft
Head2Head
Sorare
Loading Average Minutes...
Loading FanDuel Points...
Loading DraftKings Points...
Loading Yahoo Points...
Loading Head2Head Points...
Loading Sorare Points...
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ja Morant See More
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 19
2 days ago
Thursday's top NBA DFS options on FanDuel include Karl-Anthony Towns in his return to Minnesota as the New York Knicks face off against the Timberwolves.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, December 19
2 days ago
Tonight's large slate of NBA games is a good opportunity to build a DraftKings DFS lineup. RotoWire expert Dan Bruno provides his advice.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 15
6 days ago
RotoWire expert offers advice for Sunday's DraftKings DFS slate.
NBA DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 8
13 days ago
RotoWire expert offers advice for Sunday's DFS slate on DraftKings.
NBA DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Sunday, December 8
13 days ago
Jeff Edgerton urges you to grab as many Grizzlies as possible for your FanDuel Sunday NBA lineups against the struggling and depleted Wizards.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Morant is coming off a frustrating season, which he began in amazing fashion, including earning his second All-Star selection, before picking up a nine-game suspension in March after brandishing a gun on Instagram live. Things got even tougher for the talented young guard, as he suffered a wrist injury in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, which caused him to miss the next game and remain limited for the rest of the series, which the Grizzlies lost in five games. Unfortunately, the drama did not end there, as Morant was once again seen flashing a gun on Instagram live in the offseason and as a result was handed a 25-game suspension by the league, effective at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Additionally, the Grizzlies underwent a significant change at the point guard position, as they said goodbye to Tyus Jones and brought in Marcus Smart as part of a three-team deal soon after news of Morant's suspension broke. Smart will surely be expected to carry the load while Morant is out, but when the All-Star guard is eligible to return, it is mostly a guarantee that he will take the reins of the offense and be ready to produce back at a top-tier level. Some of Morant's best performances from the 2022-23 season included a season-high 49 point outburst in a win over the Rockets, eight triple-doubles, and 12 more double-doubles. If Morant can keep his focus, he is likely to pick up where he left off and shine as one of the league's top point guards.
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.
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
Leaves early with sore back
GMemphis Grizzlies
Back
December 19, 2024
Morant exited Thursday's game against the Warriors with 9:09 remaining in the third quarter due to back soreness and didn't return. He finished with nine points (4-9 FG, 1-5 3Pt), three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 17 minutes.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Good to go Thursday
GMemphis Grizzlies
December 19, 2024
Morant (back) is available for Thursday's game against the Warriors, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Dealing with back soreness
GMemphis Grizzlies
Back
December 18, 2024
Morant is questionable for Thursday's game against the Warriors due to low back soreness.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Stuffs stat sheet Sunday
GMemphis Grizzlies
December 16, 2024
Morant registered 20 points (6-21 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 6-8 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and three steals over 31 minutes during Sunday's 116-110 loss to the Lakers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Comes close to triple-double
GMemphis Grizzlies
December 14, 2024
Morant finished with 28 points (10-19 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-8 FT), seven rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Friday's 135-119 victory over the Nets.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Changing approach for 2024-25
GMemphis Grizzlies
December 4, 2024
Morant is changing how he approaches highlight-reel plays following the injuries he's sustained over the last 18 months, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "I'm not trying to dunk at all," Morant said after Tuesday's game against the Mavericks. "Y'all think I'm lying. I'm dead serious. Continue to boo me," he added, smiling. "Hey, I got two points. It was still a dunk. It was just not the dunk they wanted to see. But if they boo me off a little rim-grazer, I'm fine with that."
ANALYSIS
After being sidelined for most of the 2023-24 season due to a shoulder injury and missing time this fall due to thigh and hip issues, Morant is making his health a top priority. His latest statement can be backed up by the numbers. According to Basketball-Reference, Morant has dunked just four times in 12 games this season.
See All NBA Rumors