Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (illness) could be out for a third straight game on Thursday versus the Knicks, as he's listed as questionable for the contest. The savvy playmaker missed Sunday's clash against the Grizzlies for personal reasons and was kept out from Tuesday's matchup against Boston due to an illness. He apparently hasn't yet fully recovered from the bug. Andrew Nembhard has benefited from McConnell's absence all season long, and he can expect to feature heavily again on Thursday.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (ankle) was limited in practice as training camp started on Tuesday. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, the talented ball mover injured his ankle during a workout last week. The injury doesn't sound too serious and doesn't appear to threaten his availability for opening day. McConnell is set to start his fifth year in Indianapolis despite being linked with a trade to Phoenix in the summer. Playing behind Tyrese Haliburton, he has a tough time making a big mark, but McConnell has always been a serviceable backup. The 31-year-old has registered 8.0 points with 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals with the Pacers.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell has been linked with a move to the Phoenix Suns, but he apparently isn't very keen on the idea himself. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, McConnell is "hopeful" of staying with the Pacers. The 31-year-old has spent four seasons with the Pacers, averaging a solid 8.0 points and 5.5 assists for the team as a bench contributor. With Bradley Beal penciled in as the starting point guard for the Suns next season, McConnell would remain a bench piece in Phoenix and it looks like he would rather fill the role in more familiar surroundings.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell could be on the move this offseason with the Phoenix Suns showing interest in him. The Suns are in need of a backup point guard after trading Cameron Payne to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month. The difficult part is that the Suns don't have many tradable assets at the moment. McConnell is one of the better backup guards in the league and should pull a decent return. The Pacers don't have a need to move McConnell unless the deal actually benefits them. That being said, this could be a potential deal that falls apart as McConnell has mentioned he'd like to remain in Indiana.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, talks between the Suns, Pacers, and Knicks surrounding T.J. McConnell have "stalled." Phoenix is hoping to add McConnell to its backcourt. At the same time, the deal would result in Cameron Payne heading to New York and Evan Fournier moving to Indiana. Of course, there's a good chance those involved could return to the negotiating table, even if it means a team is added or drops out of preliminary discussions. At any rate, McConnell has been a reliable option over the years, regardless of his role. He most recently appeared in 75 games for the Pacers last season, averaging 8.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.1 steals, although he logged nearly a double-double with 1.3 swipes in six starts. There's no denying the 31-year-old would bolster the Suns' roster, a club left without a true floor general after moving on from Chris Paul. That said, McConnell's fantasy value may increase in the desert, especially since he might start more than he did in Indiana.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell is reportedly being targeted by the Phoenix Suns. Jake Fischer of Yahoo reports that the 31-year-old "has been one player on the Suns' radar". It's theoretically a favorable potential landing spot for McConnell, who would figure to have a chance to start depending on matchup instead of Josh Okogie. McConnell gathered a serviceable 8.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game over 75 contests last season. The eight-year veteran should be considered a low-end source of assists and steals as Tyrese Haliburton's backup in Indy, but his role could expand if shipped to the desert.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (hip) won't play against the Pistons. The veteran has a sore hip, so he'll join Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) and Chris Duarte (ankle) on the sidelines. As a result, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin should absorb most of the backcourt minutes. However, Gabe York, who scored nine points in 14 minutes versus the Knicks on Wednesday night, could see a surge in DFS interest.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell came off of the bench on Thursday and delivered a huge spark to push the team to a 139-123 win over the East-leading Milwaukee Bucks. McConnell finished as a +36, which was by far the highest plus/minus out of everyone that played in this contest. He also posted 19 points, 12 assists, three rebounds, and one steal while shooting 9-for-12 from the floor. This was another case where Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) missed the game and McConnell made the most of it with a big game for fantasy managers. Haliburton will be out at least two more games as well, so he could be a solid streaming option.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (back) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Detroit Pistons. This marks the second game in a row that McConnell will miss due to back soreness. He'll be joined by Tyrese Haliburton (knee) on the sideline, which will leave the Pacers shorthanded. George Hill, Chris Duarte, and Andrew Nembhard should all see additional playing time until these two guards get healthy. Between the three, Nembhard has the best streaming appeal for Monday's slate. Duarte is worth looking at as well, but is more of a deep league option.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (back) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The Pacers are going to be without two guards with Tyrese Haliburton (knee) on the sideline as well. George Hill and Andrew Nembhard will both be asked to take on an increased workload. Between the two, Nembhard is the better streaming choice, but both could be options with the Pacers shorthanded on Saturday.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (back) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Pistons. Under normal circumstances, being without McConnell wouldn't be much of a blow for fantasy managers. However, with Tyrese Haliburton (knee) also questionable, there could be minutes in the backcourt up for grabs. The 30-year-old veteran has averaged 12.7 points, 8.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in six starts this season. As a result, McConnell should be a lock for fantasy lineups if he plays and Haliburton doesn't.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell will move into the starting lineup Wednesday versus the Chicago Bulls. Andrew Nembhard is moving to the bench for McConnell despite not being injured. Nembhard has been underwhelming as a starter and the coaching staff must have decided a change was needed. McConnell offers solid fantasy upside due to his ability to stuff the stat sheet especially with steals and assists. If McConnell's starting role is here to stay, he will become a popular pickup.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell has filled in admirably while Tyrese Haliburton (knee, elbow) has been sidelined. While the team broke their seven-game losing streak on Tuesday, the 30-year-old veteran posted 20 points, 10 assists, three rebounds, and three steals while shooting 9-for-14 overall and hitting his lone three and free throw along the way. McConnell has been a saving grace for many fantasy managers that decided to stream him. He's averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game since Haliburton went down.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell had a memorable night against Phoenix on Saturday, finishing his first start of the campaign with his third career triple-double. He recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a 112-107 loss. McConnell shot 8-for-15 from the field and had two steals on the defensive end in 39 minutes on the court. The veteran guard also recently exploded for a 29-point performance against Milwaukee and is in the midst of his best stretch of the season. With Tyrese Haliburton (knee, elbow) still unavailable, McConnell has every opportunity to stay hot for an extended period.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (shoulder) is available to play Wednesday against the New York Knicks. McConnell picked up a shoulder injury over the weekend, but will not miss any games due to the ailment. McConnell should settle in to his normal bench role but may seen some extra run with Aaron Nesmith (illness) ruled out.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (shoulder) is questionable for Wednesday's contest against the Knicks. The 30-year-old playmaker hurt his right shoulder against Charlotte at the weekend and was limited to just nine minutes in the game. He has been able to practice despite the ailment, which is a good sign regarding his availability, but there's still a chance that he misses the game. McConnell has had a mediocre season so far, averaging 5.4 points and 4.2 assists in 17.0 minutes. The Pacers have started to look more and more at younger guys, and Tyrese Haliburton has started to run the backcourt alongside Andrew Nembhard. McConnell's absence would open up extra minutes for Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin could also benefit.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (illness) has gotten the official questionable tag for the team's contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. He was listed as questionable for their last game with the same non-COVID illness and ended up not being able to play. He's remained day-to-day and still has a chance to play. There are five other players on the team that are listed as questionable which makes finding a streaming option a little more difficult. Last game, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin saw a lot more playing time and opportunities.

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (illness) and power forward James Johnson (elbow) have been deemed questionable to play in Monday's game against the Warriors. McConnell would be in line for a sizable workload if cleared with Tyrese Haliburton (groin) -- the league's leading assists man -- down for the time being; if McConnell is held out, Andrew Nembhard would have sizable DFS appeal due to his low price tag and the Pacers' thin backcourt. McConnell has yet to draw a start this season but already has two double-digit assist games under his belt. Johnson has played sparingly as a reserve, averaging just 1.9 PPG. Fantasy managers will want to check back on McConnell's status prior to tip-off.

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. The 30-year-old continues to deal with right knee soreness, but hopefully this will be a short term issue. McConnell is only averaging 14.2 minutes per game, so his absence shouldn't make a significant impact. The Pacers are expected to split up the minutes between the rest of the guards. McConnell's defense is making him relevant in deep leagues right now, but it's unknown how long that will last.