Utah Jazz, Lauri Markkanen, & Fantasy Basketball Face Injury Skepticism from the NBA

The Utah Jazz have been flagged by the NBA multiple times for blatant tanking, thus raising questions about Lauri Markkanen's injury status.

Feb 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) warms up before playing against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Lauri Markkanen has the NBA atmosphere in a swirl right now. Is he hurt? Is he fabricated in his status? The NBA is very skeptical of Markkanen's injury status, with the Jazz exploring potentially deeper efforts to "tank." The team has already been fined $500k on the matter. As his injury seemed to worsen the other day, we now review where his status truly stands and whether his fantasy basketball value is worth using.

Fantasy Basketball Impact

Fantasy sports is simpler than people sometimes make it out to be. Managing a team is a simple risk-versus-reward analysis to optimize your greatest return. For any player, determine their perceived risk, then their perceived reward or upside. Is it worth it?

Markkanen has risk of a Jazz tank and lingering injuries (or so they say). Is he likely to play for the full minutes? Likely not. The only way Markkanen plays full minutes is if he is found not to be injured and the Jazz lack a path to benching Him. More likely, he is indeed injured, and the Jazz will play him, but only for minutes in the high-to-mid 20s. This is below the mid-30 minutes per game that he should play, but the Jazz will do the minimum to avoid a penalty.

As it stands, Markkanen is the PF7 in fantasy basketball. More likely than not, his ranking will fall outside of the top 10. He may still be usable; he selectively favors higher upside affairs to offset any risk.

Lauri Markkanen Injury Update

The NBA is sending their own independent doctors to verify Lauri Markkanen’s MRI from his injury in practice today, per @Tjonesonthenba pic.twitter.com/KWpIAxfMAM

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 26, 2026

The Jazz listed Markkanen as injured after aggravation at Wednesday's practice. His injury is marked on both his right hip and right ankle. With skepticism about the league, the NBA is now sending its own doctors to evaluate Markkanen on its own end to determine what is legitimate and what is not.

Luckily for Markkanen, it appears that he escaped any serious injury. This is given his questionable status to play on Thursday against the Pelicans. Even if Markkanen is out tonight, he will likely not miss much time, if any beyond Thursday.

The Jazz happen to also be on the brink of returning Keyonte George to their lineup as he is a game-time decision to play on Thursday. Amid the NBA breathing down their neck, the Jazz are being forced to back off the blatant tank. However, they will do what they can without being flagged, and that will risk Markkanen.