Micah

Potter

While Nesmith and Sheppard were available for Wednesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, Potter is back after a two-game absence. Nesmith will take on his usual role within the starting lineup, while Sheppard and Potter will provide depth off the bench.

While Toppin has only missed one of Indiana’s last four games, a March 18 loss to the Trail Blazers, Potter has missed the last two. With Ivica Zubac (ribs) done for the season, Toppin, Potter and Jay Huff take on added importance within the Pacers’ rotation.

This will be the second straight game on the sidelines for Potter, but this does not affect fantasy basketball. Jay Huff will continue to serve as Ivica Zubac’s primary backup.

Potter played just five minutes in Sunday’s loss to the Bucks. He didn’t have much fantasy relevance heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Knicks, but that could change Wednesday against the Trail Blazers as the Pacers are in the midst of a back-to-back.

While the latter did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, the former played five minutes off the bench. Fantasy relevance for Sheppard and Potter depends on the availability of other players, and neither has done enough to be trusted in most fantasy leagues. With the Pacers playing on Tuesday and Wednesday, there may be an opportunity to play extended minutes on one of those nights.

In recent games, there hasn’t been much separation in the playing time for starter Jay Huff and backup Micah Potter. That wasn’t the case on Friday, as Huff logged 33 minutes to Potter’s 14. Huff recorded a complete stat line in his time on the court, while Potter finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and one three-pointer. Playing 30-plus minutes consistently would raise Huff’s fantasy ceiling for the rest of the season, but that isn’t guaranteed.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle continues to stick with a timeshare at the center position, with Huff and Micah Potter (10 points, six rebounds, one block and one three-pointer) handling the responsibilities. On Wednesday, Huff logged 25 minutes while Potter logged 24, with the overlap occurring due to both being on the court in the final minutes of the 130-107 defeat. Over the past month, both have provided top-100 value in eight-cat formats and are worth a look in deeper leagues.

Over the past month, Potter has been a top-75 player in category leagues according to Basketball Monster. He’s rostered in 12 percent of Yahoo! leagues, with the minutes split between Potter and Jay Huff keeping both players’ rostership percentages low. While the Pacers won’t play again until Wednesday, those who have been rostering Potter should hold onto him.

Potter has been on fire recently, scoring in double figures in six of his last seven games. After scoring a career-high 23 points on Tuesday, he followed that up by setting a new career high for three-pointers in this game. Potter has provided top-75 value in nine-category leagues over the past two weeks and should continue to play a large role for the remainder of the season.

Potter had the most productive offensive night of his NBA career on Tuesday, only missing two shots from the field and recording his first 20-point game. While the rebounding production was limited, he recorded a complete stat line in 23 minutes. Jay Huff (four points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 25 minutes) remains the starter, but the Pacers have made sure to get Potter the minutes needed to be impactful. He isn’t a must-roster player in deep leagues, but Potter is worth a look for those seeking frontcourt depth.