Jay

Huff

With Ivica Zubac (ankle) sidelined, Toppin’s role in the Pacers’ rotation becomes even more important, even though he is still coming off the bench. After scoring 16 points in Sunday’s win over the Nets, he added another 14 off the bench on Monday. Jay Huff (six points, six rebounds and one assist) may be Zubac’s replacement in the starting lineup, but managers seeking a streamer should not sleep on Toppin.

Huff will start in place of Ivica Zubac, who may miss an extended amount of time with an ankle injury. Andrew Nembhard (neck) is also sidelined, which will allow Oubre to get the nod in his place.

No surprise here as Zubac played only seven minutes after injuring his ankle in Sunday’s win over the Nets and was seen leaving the arena on crutches. The good news is the x-rays were negative and Zubac appears to have avoided a long-term injury. Jay Huff should get the start in Zubac’s absence and is worth streaming.

The Pacers lost starting center Ivica Zubac to a sprained left ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s game, giving more minutes to Huff and Obi Toppin (16/6/2 with four three-pointers). While the latter was more productive offensively, Huff blocked three shots and didn’t have a bad offensive game himself. The Pacers play the Bucks on Monday, which could mean Huff gets a spot start. He and Toppin are worth streaming as long as Zubac is out.

Zubac sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Sunday’s game and has since been ruled out. Jay Huff entered the lineup at the start of the third quarter, but Zubac’s absence also means more minutes for Obi Toppin.

Zubac sprained his left ankle with about five minutes remaining in the first quarter and has not returned to the Pacers’ bench since. If he can’t return, Obi Toppin and Jay Huff will get the available minutes. The Pacers also play on Monday, so fantasy managers could be without Zubac for the start of Week 2.

The expectations for Huff were high entering this season due to the lack of other center options for the Pacers. While he has had the best season of his career, most of his value has been tied to his shot blocking, which has certainly been impressive. He matched his season high for swats in this one, but he also made a contribution on the glass. This was just the third time this season that Huff finished with double-digit rebounds. This was a fun season, but he will likely return to being a depth big behind Ivica Zubac next season.

Walker is back in the lineup after a four-game absence, which pushes Jalen Slawson to the bench. The other change to the lineup is Huff, who replaces Micah Potter.

Potter, who used his sneakers for a gender reveal for himself and his wife (it’s a boy) in Sunday’s game, had one of his best performances of the season. Replacing Jay Huff (6/3/2/1/1) in the starting lineup, Potter recorded his fourth double-double of the season and first since February 11. He didn’t record any defensive stats, but the double-double was a good win to end Week 23.

After scoring in double figures in the Pacers’ first six games of March, Huff hit a dry spell. Entering Friday, he scored 10 points or more in four of his past ten appearances, offering minimal fantasy value at best on most nights. While Huff did record a complete stat line, he did so on 5-of-18 shooting from the field. And things won’t get easier, as the Pacers end Week 23 in Cleveland on Sunday.