Jusuf

Nurkić

The continued absences of Nurkić and Jaren Jackson Jr. mean that Jaxson Hayes should remain in the starting five for the foreseeable future. Hayes has been a reliable source of rebounds and defensive stats.

The good news for JJJ is that he won’t require surgery, but given his injury history, it’s another significant blow to his outlook for the rest of the season. With Jusuf Nurkić (foot) still sidelined, Jaxson Hayes is a guy to scoop up off the waiver wire as one of Utah’s only healthy centers.

With Jusuf Nurkić (toe) out for at least four weeks, Hayes is likely to be Utah’s starting center come Opening Night. He didn’t offer much rebounding value on Monday, and over his career, Hayes averages 5.8 rebounds per game when he starts. Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much from him as a starter, but Hayes’s biggest value will be letting Jaren Jackson Jr. stay at power forward.

Nurkić, who was on track to be Utah’s starting center, suffered a partial plantar plate tear in the second toe on his right foot. As a result, he’ll miss four weeks before being re-evaluated. Nurkić’s absence opens a spot in the starting lineup. While Utah could slide Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. down a position, the latter is a better power forward than a center. Ace Bailey and Jaxson Hayes are two potential replacements in the starting five, with the latter being the choice if Jazz head coach Will Hardy prefers to leave Jackson at the four.

While he appeared in just 41 games last season, Nurkić fit well within Jazz head coach Will Hardy’s system when available. The veteran center averaged 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 50.3 percent from the field. How impactful he’ll be next season depends on what happens with Walker Kessler, who is a restricted free agent. If Kessler returns, Nurkić will come off the bench, which lowers his fantasy ceiling.

In a move that should shock nobody, another member of the Jazz has been shut down for the season. Nurkić’s absence should free up plenty of playing time for Kyle Filipowski, but Utah’s rotations have no rhyme or reason as the team looks to win as few games as possible down the stretch.

Due to nose injury management, Nurkić will miss a second consecutive game. Kyle Filipowski started Friday’s loss to the Grizzlies, playing 28 minutes. In theory, he should remain in the starting lineup, but Utah’s handling of Filipowski’s workload has been a bit puzzling at times. Fantasy managers should operate under the assumption that Filipowski will get another start.

The veteran center will be in street clothes for Friday’s matchup, marking his 16th missed game of the season. Nurkić is enjoying a nice bounce-back season, posting averages of 10.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over his 41 appearances. Without him in the lineup, Utah will rely on Kyle Filipowski and Oscar Tshiebwe for frontcourt minutes.

Love’s absence isn’t meaningful now that Jaren Jackson Jr. is on the roster. Kyle Filipowski may see a few extra minutes behind Jusuf Nurkić, but Filipowski isn’t worth a look while competing for minutes in a crowded Utah frontcourt.

After missing Utah’s last two games, Love is on track to be available for Saturday’s game. However, with Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Filipowski and Jusuf Nurkić available, there may not be enough minutes for Love to affect fantasy basketball. Nurkić has been a DNP-CD in the last two games; if he isn’t starting, don’t expect him to play.