Ben Sheppard

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.

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.

Sheppard is in the starting lineup for Friday's matchup with the Wizards.

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.