Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against Cleveland. He's gone from questionable to out due to a left hamstring strain. Jackson's absence means a heavy workload for Myles Turner and Jalen Smith against Cleveland's twin towers of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. It's a rough matchup for the duo, with the Cavaliers giving up the fifth-fewest points in the league to opposing centers.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (concussion) is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Nuggets. He's sat out two games while being in concussion protocol. However, it looks like Jackson could be cleared to return on Tuesday. The 22-year-old is a good per-minute performer, but he doesn't get a lot of playing time for the Pacers behind Myles Turner, and Pascal Siakam's addition to the frontcourt will further complicate Jackson's situation.

Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson (concussion) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns. The big man exited early and landed in concussion protocol on Thursday. As a result, Jackson sat out on Friday and will miss Sunday's game as well. When healthy, Jackson is going to face an uphill battle for playing time. Pascal Siakam is going to start and play the bulk of the minutes, so Jackson will battle with Jalen Smith for minutes off the bench.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (finger) remains on the injury report as questionable as the team gets ready for Monday's rematch versus Boston. Jackson has suffered a hairline fracture to his right fifth finger, but he's managed to play through the injury and logged nine minutes in Saturday's 118-101 loss to the Celtics. It appears likely that Jackson will also be available on Monday. The 21-year-old has bags of potential but is in a rough spot fantasy-wise in Indiana as long as Myles Turner and Jalen Smith stay healthy.

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 forward Isaiah Jackson played well during Monday's Summer League matchup against the Orlando Magic. Jackson recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes of action. The 21-year-old was able to carry some fantasy value last season due to his defensive ability. He averaged 1.2 blocks per game to go along with 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game. His fantasy potential is limited with Myles Turner still in Indiana. In fact, the Pacers signed Turner to a two-year extension, so that's not good news for Jackson. He'll likely only end up as a deep league option again due to lack of playing time.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (knee) has been cleared to play Saturday versus Brooklyn. He sat out Friday's meeting with Washington due to left knee soreness, but the team will welcome him back against the short-handed Nets. Jackson has averaged 7.3 points per game with 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks as Myles Turner's backup this season. He is still waiting to break out and Jackson's fate depends a lot on Turner's future. With Jackson available Saturday, Goga Bitadze loses a spot in the rotation, but he hasn't been fantasy-relevant anyway.

Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (knee) officially received the questionable tag on the injury report due to right knee soreness. He's only missed one game so far this season, so he's been able to play through any bumps and bruises that he's experienced so far. He hasn't exactly taken the jump that a lot of people expected this year, especially since Myles Turner is still on the team. If he does end up playing, he's only relevant in deeper fantasy leagues.

Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson (ankle) is available for Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. He'll be back in action after missing Wednesday's contest due to a left ankle sprain. His return should mean less playing time for Goga Bitadze. On Wednesday, Bitadze played 15 minutes without Jackson available. He could very well fall out of the rotation now, so fantasy managers shouldn't bother streaming him with Jackson healthy again.

Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson (ankle) is officially tagged as questionable for the team's game on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. He was listed as questionable for the last couple of games as well since he sprained his ankle against Orlando. He played in one of them and did not play in the last game. With that being said, the trend seems to lean toward him being able to play. Fantasy managers should check back closer to tipoff in case there are any setbacks. If he can't play, Goga Bitadze would likely get a small increase in minutes.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (ankle) is considered questionable for Wednesday's matchup against Minnesota. He sprained his left ankle against Orlando on Monday and sat out Tuesday's practice. The signs aren't too good regarding his availability, but at least he hasn't been officially ruled out yet. Jackson is working behind Myles Turner in Indianapolis, averaging 7.8 points per game with 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Goga Bitadze will be the main backup for Turner if Jackson can't go, but he's having a very quiet season and doesn't offer a lot to fantasy managers.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Isaiah Jackson (knee) has indicated that he will be good to go Friday against Miami. He left Monday's loss to Brooklyn after suffering a bruise to the back of his left knee. The 20-year-old managed six points and five rebounds with one assist and one steal in 13 minutes before being forced to exit. The second-year player out of Kentucky is off to a solid start to the campaign in pretty limited minutes, having so far averaged only 18.5 minutes a night. He could eventually breakout big time if the Pacers end up trading Myles Turner, who recently openly spoke about a potential move to the Lakers.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith and center Isaiah Jackson will move into the starting five for Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons. Head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned that there could be changes to the starting lineup following Friday's loss. Nesmith and Jackson will move into the starting five, while Chris Duarte and Terry Taylor will head to the bench. The move to the starting lineup should increase the fantasy value of Nesmith and Jackson on Saturday.

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, 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.Plus, 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 2022 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 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

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, 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.Plus, 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 2022 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 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

The Indiana Pacers announced on Thursday that power forward/center Isaiah Jackson won't be logging anymore minutes at this year's Summer League. Jackson was a bit of a surprising addition to the team's Summer League roster as he had a productive rookie year in 2021-22 when he was healthy. Across his three Summer League outings, he averaged 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. In his final game on Tuesday, he didn't miss a single shot from the field, shooting 7-for-7 on the way to 14 points.

In a somewhat surprising development, the Indiana Pacers will have Goga Bitadze (foot), Oshae Brissett (back) and Isaiah Jackson (head) all available for Friday night's game against the Boston Celtics. All three had been listed as questionable going into the day. Bitadze is the only player from the trio of big men who played in the team's last two games. Brissett has missed the last two contests with lower back soreness and Jackson has only played in one game since March 15, when he suffered a concussion. All three of these players are suddenly a bit risky for fantasy purposes, as is Jalen Smith, who has been regularly suiting up lately. Bitadze and Smith are the safest options, in that order. Brissett would be next. Jackson had been looking great in early March, but he's tough to trust in his return.

Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (rest) and center Isaiah Jackson (head) have been ruled out for Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, point guard Duane Washington Jr. (hip) and center Goga Bitadze (foot) will be active for the game and both players should see a good amount of run. This will be Brogdon's sixth consecutive missed game as the team continues to rest him. Jackson, meanwhile, has missed four of the last five games after sustaining a concussion a little over a week ago.

Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson (headaches) won't play on Monday against the Hawks. The 20-year-old suffered a concussion over a week ago. However, he's now dealing with residual headaches, relegating him to only six minutes of work over the last five games. Goga Bitadze (foot) is questionable, so if he doesn't play either, Jalen Smith will be a sought-after fantasy commodity, and rightfully so.

Indiana Pacers center Isaiah Jackson (headache) won't suit up for Saturday's game against the Toronto Raptors. Jackson can't seem to catch a break as he only played seven minutes on Wednesday. He sat out of Thursday's contest and won't play on Saturday. Jackson has played well whenever he's healthy, but he's rarely on the court now. Jalen Smith (illness) and Goga Bitadze (foot) are both questionable for this contest, but will be strong streaming options if they can play.