The Jazz continue to trudge with a steady cadence in their rebuilding phase. They continue to reshape their roster by acquiring young talent or future draft capital. Collin Sexton was traded to the Hornets for Jusuf Nurkic and a future second-round pick. John Collins was traded to the Clippers, a move that initially appeared to be a positive for his fantasy value. However, the Clippers did not stop there, eventually adding Bradley Beal. This dampened Collins’ outlook due to the addition of talented players around him in Los Angeles. But, that’s how the fantasy ball bounces. The ebb and flow of player movement in the NBA has a gravity that pulls fantasy outlooks upward or downward. Collins’ departure has opened up a door for a young Jazz forward to break out in fantasy in 2025-26.
A Jazz Forward is Primed for a Breakout Season in Fantasy
Summer League Standout
The Jazz are looking to develop their young players with a championship-contending horizon still far in the distance. One such player is Kyle Filipowski. The forward was recently named Summer League MVP. The former Duke standout displayed excellent scoring instincts in six summer league games, posting a league-leading 29.3 points per game, adding 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 56.1% from the field and 39.1% from downtown.
He played so well, it seemed like he didn’t “belong” in Summer League, dominating the competition.
Strong Performance When Given Minutes
On paper, Filipowski’s stats do not jump off the page. In 72 games last season, he averaged 9.6 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.1 3PG, and 0.7 SPG on 50.2% FG. This was good enough for him to finish outside of the top 250 in fantasy basketball.
Filipowski showed out when he was thrust into a more prominent role last season, when both Lauri Markkanen and John Collins were sidelined with injuries.
He started in 18 games for the Jazz, impressing everyone with averages of 16.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.0 3-pointers in 30.1 minutes per game. Filipowski played exclusively at the power forward position. His 2.0 treys per contest allow him to pass the eye test for being a reliable stretch four in the league. The strong play made him an instant pickup in fantasy leagues. Over the last 30 days of the 2024-25 season, Filipowski was providing value just outside the top 100 (based on Hashtag Basketball)
Filipowski also started the last nine games of the season, finishing 2024-25 with a flurry as he averaged a double-double in that span: 14.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
Expect the 21.1 minutes per game from last season to rise in 2025-26, especially now that Collins is gone. Filipowski will have to share minutes with Markannen at the four, but the Finn has been injury-prone recently. Markkanen has not played more than 55 games in the last two seasons.
Minor Red Flags
Filipowski does not have a perfectly fantasy-friendly stat line. His underwhelming block rate is not ideal. Neither is his 64.8% shooting clip from the free throw line. The free-throw shooting is not an area of concern considering his low volume of attempts at two per game. However, if Filipowski will earn more minutes next season and be more involved in the Jazz’s offense, those trips to the line could become more frequent. He’s shown that he can thrive away from the basket, so an uptick in FTA will be minor at best.
The Last Word
Filipowski will be a solid source of points, threess, and rebounds, plus the occasional steal. He shoots well from the field, making him an asset in both rotiserrie and head-to-head leagues. He can be a nightly double-double threat thanks to his rebounding rate. He’s worth a late-round flier pick in standard 12-team leagues thanks to the upside he’s shown us in 2024-25.
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