Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac needed just 18 minutes to post 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks, powering Croatia to a record 123-50 rout of Cyprus and into the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. For fantasy, the number that matters most is the minutes: Zubac looked fully healthy and dominant, an encouraging sign after a lost season. His 2025-26 season was wrecked by the February trade from the Clippers to Indiana, a delayed debut, and a fractured rib that ended his year after just five Pacers games. Remember what he is at full strength, though. In 2024-25 he broke out for 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while earning All-Defensive honors, and he steps into 2026-27 as Indiana’s clear starting center, with pick-and-roll upside once Tyrese Haliburton is back. This is a buy-the-bounce-back center: reliable boards, blocks, and field-goal percentage at a likely discount.–Brian Dailisan
Source: NBA
