Walker Kessler DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (illness) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The team has downgraded his status from questionable to out. This is another boost for Kyle Filipowski, who has already had a larger role in the rotation due to the absences of John Collins (ankle) and Lauri Markkanen (conditioning). Filipowski put together a full line in Thursday's defeat to the Houston Rockets, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two steals. With Kessler out, we may also see more of Brice Sensabaugh and Kenyon Martin Jr. in Friday's game.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (rest) will be in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt against the Washington Wizards. He was initially expected to sit out the contest after Utah listed him as out for rest purposes. However, Lauri Markkanen (personal) has now been ruled out for the game, with Kessler coming back into the mix. His presence will limit Kyle Filipowski's effectiveness. Fantasy managers have seen Kessler dominate the glass recently, as he is averaging 14.8 rebounds this month. The seven-footer has added 12.3 points and 3.3 blocks per game on 55.2 percent shooting.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (rest) will skip Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards. The team has decided to give him another rest day. Kessler's absence is a signal to fantasy managers to fire up Kyle Filipowski again. He has regularly started when Kessler has been out of the lineup. On the last such occasion, Filipowski produced a full line against the Toronto Raptors, notching 18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. As a starter, Filipowski has averaged 13.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists during his rookie campaign.