Jay Huff

Huff has been filling in as the starting center for Indiana for the last few games, but that hasn’t always led to starter minutes. However, with only six available players for the Pacers in this game, Huff played a significant role. He started off hot, scoring 17 points in the first half, which helped him lead the team in scoring while setting a new season high for points. He’ll continue starting until Ivica Zubac (ankle) returns, which makes him an intriguing streaming option, even if he has struggled as a starter prior to this game.

It’s fair to say that Huff’s four starts for the injured Ivica Zubac (ankle) have not gone as well as many fantasy managers hoped. While he scored 13 points in Friday’s loss to the Heat, he has totaled 22 points, 16 rebounds and one block in those four games. Huff appeared to tweak his right foot in the first half of Sunday’s defeat but returned. Managers still holding onto him in hopes of getting some streaming value may be best served by moving on to another option going into Week 3.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Of the three games the Pacers have played since losing Ivica Zubac to a season-ending rib injury, Huff has started the last two. After logging 28 minutes on Monday, he played 32 against the Lakers and enjoyed one of his best offensive games of the season. The 18 points were the most in a game for Huff in three weeks, who last hit that number in a March 4 loss to the Clippers. Fantasy managers needing a post player can consider adding Huff, especially with the Pacers playing two more games in Week 22.

After utilizing a smaller lineup to begin Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, the Pacers will start a true center on Monday. Huff moves back into the starting five for the first time since March 10, with Quenton Jackson heading to the bench. This change also shifts Jarace Walker and Pascal Siakam up a position within the lineup.

As usual, playing time was a sticking point for managers who have Huff on their rosters, as he played just 22 minutes on Sunday. However, he did not get cheated on shot attempts or blocked shots. Huff’s 15 shots were second-most on the team, with only Pascal Siakam taking more, and he matched his season-high with five blocked shots. The good news is that Huff does not need to play heavy minutes to provide value, as evidenced by his line on Sunday.

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.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle continues to stick with a timeshare at the center position, and that’s likely to remain the case for the rest of this season. Huff remains the starter, and he played 25 minutes on Sunday while backup Micah Potter logged 24 off the bench. While Huff has been close to a top-75 player over the past month, Potter’s category league value has been slightly higher. The split of minutes is a big reason Huff is still rostered in 20 percent of Yahoo! leagues going into Week 19.

After playing 21 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Wizards, Huff played 16 in Friday’s rematch. The good news for fantasy managers is that he shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, but his production was largely limited to points and three-pointers. For the second straight night, Micah Potter (18/5/2/1 with four three-pointers) played more minutes than Huff despite coming off the bench. Huff remains the preferred option for fantasy managers, but those competing in deeper leagues should consider Potter if they’re in dire need of a frontcourt player.

The good news for fantasy managers who have Huff rostered is that he provided solid value in points, rebounds and blocked shots in Thursday’s defeat. The bad news is that he logged 21 minutes, although the back-to-back may have been a factor. Micah Potter (14 points, six rebounds, one assist and two three-pointers) logged 27 minutes off the bench, and those roles may reverse in Friday’s rematch.

Huff came off the bench in favor of Jarace Walker against the Thunder on Friday, but they’ll revert back to the typical starting unit for this game. That was likely a matchup-based decision, and head coach Rick Carlisle will ensure that Huff will be in the opening group to help slow down Alperen Sengun.

One minute into the second quarter, Huff ran a pick and roll to perfection and finished with a poster dunk. That play and many others like it Friday showed that the 28-year-old center has truly come into his own this season as he dropped a career-high 29 points. Huff has had at least 20 points in three of his last six games now and provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks. Rostered in just 21 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he’s worth adding immediately.

Huff is only averaging 8.1 points per game this season, but occasionally he’ll have a legitimate offensive outburst. Monday was the second time in the last four games that Huff had at least 20 points and made at least four three-pointers. The 28-year-old center’s primary fantasy utility is still his shot-blocking in deeper formats, but the points and threes don’t hurt either.

Nembhard is good to go after initially being questionable for Monday’s game. The lone change to the lineup that started Saturday’s win over the Heat is Huff, who steps in for Quenton Jackson.

Huff, who leads the NBA in blocks this season, knocked down 4-of-7 from three-point range and matched his previous season-high mark that he set back on November 19 in a win over the Hornets. Unfortunately, his offensive outburst wasn’t enough as Indiana dropped their 13th straight game and remain winless since December 8. The 27-year-old shot blocker is averaging 2.2 per-game, which gives him some relevance in deeper fantasy leagues.