Pascal Siakam

Offensive balance carried the Pacers on Saturday, as Siakam led six double-digit scorers with 21 points. Having scored 21 or more in five of his last six outings, Spicy P has cracked the top 50 in season-long value in 9-cat formats. Based on his Yahoo ADP (48), that's what many fantasy managers expected before the season began. The Pacers only play two games during Week 13, Thursday and Saturday, against the Spurs in Paris.

Mathurin is back after serving a one-game suspension on Thursday. He'll start with Aaron Nesmith heading to the bench in his second game back from a sprained ankle. Mathurin has performed well as a starter, so he may be able to hold onto the job even after Nesmith can take on a full workload.

Siakam had one of his best games of the season in this game. Along with approaching season-highs for both points and assists, he was able to set a new season-high for steals. He has scored at least 20 points in four of their last five games, and he has been a big contributor to their 7-1 start to 2025. They wrap up this week on Saturday against the 76ers, but after that, they have four games over the next two weeks. The schedule certainly isn't favorable, but Siakam should still be productive.

Nesmith will get the starting nod in his first game in about 10 weeks. He'll fill in for Bennedict Mathurin, who is serving a one-game suspension. Haliburton is also back after a one-game absence, which will push Ben Sheppard to the bench.

The Pacers acquired Siakam last season because he is a proven scorer, and with Tyrese Haliburton (groin) sidelined for this game, he was able to step up in a big way for them. His first half was significantly better than the second, and he entered the break with 21 points. Unfortunately, he only added two more points after the break, and the Pacers weren't able to get a second straight win over Cleveland. They still have two more games this week and then two games in each of the next two weeks. The schedule isn't favorable, but Siakam should continue to be productive.