Ben

Sheppard

Sheppard will miss a second straight game after straining his calf during a December 3 loss to the Nuggets. How much time he’ll miss remains unknown. While Jarace Walker has made starts in the past, the Pacers went with Garrison Mathews for Friday’s game against the Bulls. Neither player is a must-roster option, but Mathews can provide three-point production as a starter.

Sheppard suffered a strained left calf during Wednesday’s loss to the Nuggets and will miss some time. How long he’ll be out has not been made public by the Pacers, but his absence does not affect fantasy basketball. However, it may mean that Jarace Walker returns to the starting five after playing 22 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.

After playing 20 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s win over the Bulls, Walker is back in the Pacers’ starting lineup. He replaces Ben Sheppard, who will play rotation minutes off the bench. Walker offers a higher fantasy ceiling than Sheppard, but inconsistent offensive production has been an issue for the former lottery pick.

Nembhard is back after sitting out Friday’s win over the Wizards. However, it is Jarace Walker who will head to the bench, with Sheppard remaining with the starters. The matchup was likely a factor, as the Bulls are starting three guards. Sheppard has not been a great streaming option this season, but sticking with the starters should benefit him.

Nembhard will be good to go after a one-game absence against Washington on Friday. Ben Sheppard started in his place, but he’ll head back to the bench with Nembhard back. T.J. McConnell should still fill out the backup point guard minutes, so he shouldn’t be impacted much.

Nembhard missed Friday’s game against the Wizards with a quad contusion. Ben Sheppard moved into the starting lineup in his absence, but T.J. McConnell out-produced him with 14 points and eight assists in 19 minutes. Expect a similar setup for the Pacers if Nembhard is ruled out again.

Sheppard and Huff will enter the starting unit in place of Andrew Nembhard (quad) and Isaiah Jackson. Sheppard will get the nod instead of T.J. McConnell, though McConnell should still see a bump in minutes. Huff will replace Jackson as the starting center, though both should continue to split the minutes down low.

Nembhard will miss the first leg of this back-to-back, which will open up the starting spot at point guard. T.J. McConnell should slide into the role, which will make him a high-priority option as long as Nembhard is unavailable. Ben Sheppard may also pick up a few extra minutes.

Nembhard is dealing with a right quad contusion, and Friday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Pacers. If he’s unable to play, T.J. McConnell’s fantasy ceiling will rise, even if he remains in a reserve role. Ben Sheppard may pick up additional minutes in this scenario, but he has not been productive enough to be worth the risk in fantasy leagues.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle made just one change to his starting lineup, replacing Jarace Walker with Sheppard. While he does not offer the same offensive ceiling, Sheppard is a solid defender who can be helpful in this matchup. Walker will remain in the rotation, but his inefficient offense has been problematic for fantasy managers.