Lauri Markkanen looks like a huge fantasy steal

Raphielle Johnson dives into Lauri Markkanen's impressive season so far, highlighting the 25-year-old's production in several key fantasy categories and why it can be sustainable.

Video Transcript

- Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen was one player that the front office insisted be included in a deal that ultimately sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland, and through 12 games we're seeing why. One of the league's most improved players at this stage in the season, Markkanen is averaging 22.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, half a steal, nearly one block, and 2.1 three-pointers in nearly 33 minutes per game. And he's been incredibly efficient in putting up those numbers, shooting 54.4% from the field and nearly 82% from the foul line. That's good for top-25 per game value in nine-cat formats, significantly higher than his Yahoo ADP of 101.

While some have remained concerned about the possibility of the Jazz pulling the plug on a team that has exceeded expectations to this point in the season, the word out of Utah is that the front office has no plans on committing to a tank. That's great news for fantasy managers who have Markkanen, who torched the Suns for 38 points on 15 for 18 shooting in Friday night's win last week.