It’s the final weekend before the NBA regular season begins, which means you’re coming here for your fantasy basketball drafts.
Should you draft Lauri Markkanen this season? Here’s the latest outlook, projections, and rankings for the Utah Jazz Power Forward.
Should You Draft Lauri Markkanen in Fantasy Basketball?
Lauri Markkanen enters Year 9 with the unfortunate distinction of being the active NBA player with the most regular-season games played (450) without a single playoff appearance. Barring a trade, that streak likely won’t end in the 2025-26 season, as Utah is coming off a league-worst 17-65 finish and fields a roster largely composed of unproven prospects.
Markkanen broke out as an early-round fantasy talent in the 2022-23 campaign, earning Most Improved Player honors. Since then, his production has gradually declined, with knee and back ailments hindering his efficiency last season.
Across 47 outings, the one-time All-Star averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.9 3-pointers per game while shooting a career-low 42.3% from the field. Meanwhile, the Jazz routinely exercised caution with their top player, prioritizing their position in the draft lottery.
Markkanen should once again be viewed as a potential late-season shutdown risk, causing him to fall outside the top 50 in standard formats.
Looking for more fantasy basketball outlooks? Head over to our NBA landing page for analysis on 200 players.
What Are Markkanen’s Fantasy Basketball Projections This Season?
Based on our proprietary metrics here at PFSN, we project Markkanen to score 1,849.8 fantasy points this season, with him averaging 18.5 points per game.
This includes 6.2 field goals per game, 2.7 three-pointers per game, 3.4 free throws per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 1.9 assists per game, 0.6 steals per game, and 0.4 blocks per game.
Where Does Lauri Markkanen Rank in the Upcoming Fantasy Basketball Season?
Markkanen is ranked 162nd overall and 26th at his position. The five players ranked ahead of him overall include Kyle Filipowski, Jabari Smith Jr., Brandin Podziemski, Egor Demin, and Caris LeVert.
The five players ranked behind him overall include Klay Thompson, Kyshawn George, Norman Powell, Donte DiVincenzo, and Quentin Grimes.
The five players ranked ahead of him at his position include Jonathan Kuminga, John Collins, Jaden McDaniels, Bobby Portis, and Smith.
The five players ranked behind him at his position include Moussa Diabaté, Rui Hachimura, Saddiq Bey, Cameron Johnson, and Chris Boucher.
