Aaron Nesmith DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) has been tagged as questionable against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The 24-year-old wing hasn't played in the team's last four games while he tends to a sprained right ankle, and he may be forced to miss a fifth. He'll likely test it out during shootaround and warmup to see if he can fully give it a go. Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have joined the starting five in his absence and have both contributed some solid stat lines. Nembhard would be the more likely candidate to move to the bench once Nesmith returns, but for now, they're both solid fantasy plays regardless of the league or format.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) is regarded as questionable for Wednesday's tilt against New Orleans. He would be out for a fourth straight game if Nesmith can't return from a right ankle sprain. Bennedict Mathurin has taken over from Nesmith in the starting lineup and could be in for another big night on Wednesday if he continues to receive extra minutes. The newly crowned NBA Rookie Challenge MVP matched his career high with a 34-point effort against Toronto on Monday.

The Indiana Pacers have downgraded forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) from doubtful to out for Monday's game versus the Toronto Raptors. Nesmith sprained his right ankle in Indy's final game before the All-Star break and still isn't ready to play, but he'll hope to return in Wednesday's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans. Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard are both worthwhile streamers in a contest with the highest implied point total (245.5) on Monday's four-game slate.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) will not be available for Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The 24-year-old sustained the injury in the team's last game before the All-Star break against the Raptors. Fortunately, the injury is not as severe as initially feared, but Nesmith is still expected to miss some time, although it shouldn't sideline him for an extended period. T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin will likely see increased minutes until his return. Nesmith has been averaging 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 27.1 minutes per game this year.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (lower leg) appears to have escaped serious injury. He hurt his right leg on an awkward fall following a dunk attempt in the team's final game before the All-Star break. Nesmith was limited in Tuesday's practice but could still be an option for Thursday's matchup against Detroit. "No update really other than not as bad as originally feared," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said on Tuesday. "He was limited today. He's making significant progress each day. We'll see how he's doing in a couple days." If Nesmith can't play on Thursday, Doug McDermott and Bennedict Mathurin will have to step up.