The FanDuel Sportsbook odds for Rookie of the Year continue to favor Zach Edey (+150) but his teammate is fourth (+750) and has passed him in the latest Kia Rookie Ladder. While Washington Wizards' forward and second overall pick Alexandre Sarr has taken over the number one spot in the ladder, he remains second in the betting odds at +250.
One thing the FanDuel Sportsbook odds have in common with the Kia Rookie Ladder is their top six rookies are the same but in a different order. As the Sportsbook odds predict the end-of-season result, the Rookie Ladder ranks the rookies based on their current results, and the Grizzlies rookies are neck and neck in the race for the best rookie on the team and the NBA.
Wells moves to third while Edey drops to fourth
While Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey continue to trail Alexandre Sarr and New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi in the ladder, their competition for best rookie heats up. There is no true competition between the teammates as they try to help the Grizzlies win, but the race for Rookie of the Year is real now that the calendar has flipped to the new year.
Zach Edey's new year hasn't been kind, as he has arguably played his worst three-game stretch of the season. He hasn't scored more than nine points nor grabbed more than seven rebounds in any of the Grizzlies' three games in 2025 while his minutes dwindled to 21, 20, and 13 minutes. Those are the least amount of minutes he has played since suffering an ankle sprain that sidelined him for 12 games in November.
Recently he suffered a concussion that sidelined him for two games and hasn't looked the same since his return in their last three games. The rookie year is long and grueling. Therefore, the Grizzlies returning home and having a two-night break should help Edey get back in stride.
Meanwhile, Jaylen Wells might have had his best three-game stretch in terms of accomplishments and fighting through adversity. He began 2025, returning to his hometown of Sacramento, California, and lit up the Sacramento Kings for a career-high 30 points on a career-high eight threes.
However, that game provided his best shooting performance over his last six games as he has shot just 35% from the field and 30% in the other five games as opposed to 69% from the field and 89% from three against the Kings. The adversity has come in the form of his continued effort on the defensive end and contributions in other areas outside of his shooting.
Notably, Jaylen Wells secured the first double-double of his career with a career-high of 11 rebounds against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. The 11 rebounds also marked the first time that Wells has grabbed double-digit rebounds in a game this season. His consistency as a starter has outpaced the rest of his rookie class by 14 more games than the rest of the rookie class combined.
The Grizzlies officially have two rookies in the running for the Rookie of the Year award, and their growth continues to show daily. Struggles will come, as with all rookies, but Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey continue to prove that they can and will overcome adversity when it comes their way.