Utah Jazz DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (quadriceps) will once again come out of the lineup Saturday against Houston for injury maintenance purposes. The 2023 All-Star recently returned from a quadriceps injury, but the team is balancing his workload, and Markkanen has yet to play in two consecutive games since coming back. Brice Sensabaugh and Taylor Hendricks have a chance to pick up more minutes without Markkanen, while his absence is bound to boost the offensive usage of Keyonte George and Collin Sexton. Houston has the eighth-best defensive rating in the league, but George and Sexton should still be able to fill the box score on Saturday night, as the Rockets also like to push the pace.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (quadriceps) isn't on the injury report for Thursday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. After sitting out six consecutive contests from March 4 to March 16 due to a right quadriceps contusion, Markkanen is good to go on the second night of Utah's back-to-back after also missing Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder for maintenance purposes. The 29-40 Jazz are likely to continue managing Markkanen's load down the stretch of a lost season, but the All-Star stretch four is in a good spot on Thursday against a Dallas team allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing power forwards. Markkanen is a set-and-forget play when healthy, returning second-round value in nine-category leagues this season on averages of 23.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.2 three-pointers while shooting 89.0% from the free-throw line over 52 appearances.

Utah Jazz forward/center John Collins (face) will play on Wednesday against Oklahoma City, with the team upgrading him from questionable to available. Collins should take his normal role as the starting center, meaning Walker Kessler will have to wait for another day to get a chance to ride with the starters. Utah will again be without Lauri Markkanen (quadriceps), so Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh should also have a large role to play on the Jazz frontcourt against a weak rebounding team. Collins has seen a lot of success against the Thunder this season, averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26.5 minutes across two games.

Utah Jazz forward/center John Collins (face) has been listed as questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Thunder. Collins got hurt and had to exit Monday's clash with Minnesota after Anthony Edwards dunked on him. He passed the concussion protocol but is on the injury report with a facial contusion. Walker Kessler could be set for a big night as Collins' replacement in the starting five. OKC are outstanding defensively but sit only 27th in the league in rebounding rate. Only Washington and Charlotte give up more rebounds to centers than the Thunder.

Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (groin) will be absent for a fourth consecutive game on Wednesday against Oklahoma City. The veteran scorer continues to work his way back from a groin strain. Clarkson's health issues have allowed Talen Horton-Tucker to re-enter the backcourt rotation, with Keyonte George and Collin Sexton having an opportunity to do a lot more work on the offensive end. Kris Dunn is another beneficiary in the situation and has made back-to-back starts. There are plenty of viable fantasy options among Utah's backcourt players, but they face a tricky game on Wednesday against a team that has the fifth-best defensive rating in the league.