Chicago Bulls DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones is set to make his first start of the season for Thursday's tilt against the Milwaukee Bucks. Malaki Branham (ankle) is doubtful to play, slating Jones to rejoin San Antonio's starting backcourt alongside Devin Vassell after spending 65 games in head coach Gregg Popovich's first unit last year. The 23-year-old offense initiator lost his grip on the starting job at the point to Jeremy Sochan in the preseason, providing 8.0 points, 4.9 assists, and 0.8 steals per game as a strict reserve this season. Jones should experience an uptick in playing time against the Bucks, however, with Thursday's contest being the more attractive of the two games on the slate in terms of implied point total (248.5).

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (ankle) will suit up for Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks. As expected, White will play after being listed as probable heading into this game due to right ankle soreness. He should resume his normal role in the starting five for this game. White has been putting up big points lately, so fantasy managers should make sure he's in their lineups on Wednesday night.

Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan says there's no clear timetable for a return for center Nikola Vucevic (groin), and the 33-year-old big man won't practice this week with the Windy City Bulls like injured teammate Zach LaVine (foot) has. Vucevic was already ruled out for Chicago's current two-game road trip, but this is a more concerning development. The Bulls initially anticipated that Vooch's strained left groin would sideline him between seven and 10 days as of Dec. 27. But since the two-time All-Star won't practice this week, it's fair to assume he will remain out until at least Monday against the Charlotte Hornets. Andre Drummond has logged two 20-rebound efforts in three games without Vucevic and will continue to enjoy heightened fantasy value in the meantime.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said on Sunday that he expects center Zach Collins (ankle) to miss 2-to-4 weeks due to a sprained right ankle. Collins sustained the injury on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers in a game where he was holding down the frontcourt without Victor Wembanyama, causing him to miss Sunday's game. The 26-year-old playmaking big man leaves the 5-27 Spurs without one of their top contributors for multiple weeks, producing 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 triples per game. Collins is not necessarily a must-hold fantasy player, though. San Antonio's rotation can move in many different directions, since Wembanyama's one-of-a-kind frame should allow him to seamlessly shift to the five more frequently. That means more minutes should be available for some combination of Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, and Julian Champagnie.