This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
This is going to be a bit of an odd slate when it comes to roster construction. Almost always my first priority is finding the top-tier guard I want to go heavy on, but that will not be the case Thursday, as I don't really love any of the options -- or any of the pricier players for that matter -- which is tough because we have an elite middle tier and some notable value plays due to injuries. There are so many injured players that rather than listing each of them individually, I advise scanning Thursday's Round 22 EuroLeague Primer so you can get the full picture.
Two things I do want to target most will be Red Star's backcourt and Virtus Bologna's frontcourt. Red Star will take on a fast-paced Baskonia team, and there are a lot of minutes up for grabs with Nemanja Nedovic and Nikola Topic sidelined, and potentially a lot of usage if Milos Teodosic joins them. Virtus will be without their top player and usage dominator Tornike Shengelia, which opens up all kinds of opportunities. They will also take on ASVEL, a club that is giving some of the most points in the league.
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Wade Baldwin IV, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($10,300)
Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($9,900)
I mentioned it last week and I'll reiterate that these guys are not must-plays. They are more so luxuries. I say this because in a lot of my early builds I find myself landing in this range, and I know they have some of the better floors on the slate. It helps that both play even when the score gets out of hand.
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($11,000)
I don't like it, I really don't, but we have so much value Thursday that like the two players mentnioned previously you might just take the raw points and move on. It's worth noting Will Clyburn could return, and that would put a dent in Larkin's shot rate.
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona ($8,800)
Nicolas Laprovittola and Alex Abrines remain out, which opens up shots and usage for Satoransky and Jabari Parker against a team that has been a bit better defensively but has had trouble on that end over the course of the season.
Marco Belinelli, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($8,700)
Daniel Hackett, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($8,400)
We mentioned usage being up for grabs for Virtus, and I think one of these two could take on even more. For Hackett it would mean more shot attempts and for Belinelli it would mean more minutes due to a lack of options on the offensive end.
Codi Miller-McIntyre, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($9,400)
Markus Howard, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($8,900)
The backcourt value plays are very uninspiring, so we'll go with some GPP guys. If Red Star tries to play at Baskonia's tempo you can make a case for these guys on the road. Miller-McIntyre is your true stat-stuffing floor general who has a higher minutes ceiling than Howard. Howard is your shot-taking bucket-getter who can flat out shoot it. Howard could get pushed minutes-wise with Chris Chiozza out for Round 22.
Valuable Values
Nigel Williams-Goss, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,500)
I don't know what to expect from the Olympiacos rotation any longer, but I do know their guards have an absolutely elite matchup, and I'll go with Williams-Goss, who seems to be a favorite of head coach Georgios Bartzokas. Williams-Goss also benefits by playing multiple positions.
Dario Brizuela, FC Barcelona ($5,500)
Rokas Jokubaitis, FC Barcelona ($6,000)
Brizuela absolutely dominated in Round 21 with Laprovittola out, and those who watched the FIBA World Cup last summer probably aren't too surprised. I think he's an excellent option, but as a long-time EuroLeague DFS player I'm aware his minutes could randomly shift to Jokubaitis. He has been one of the league's top up-and-comers for a while now.
Carsen Edwards, FC Bayern Munich ($7,400)
I wish I knew what was going on with the minutes because my eyeballs tell me Edwards is playing great and Bayern needs the scoring guard on the floor. Alas, I have no answers. I do know that you want to buy low on guys in GPPs, and Edwards could be primed for a big night against a struggling ALBA team that gives up a ton of shots beyond the arc.
Yago Dos Santos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($6,900)
Dos Santos hasn't been kind to us in spots where he makes the most sense, but Red Star might be forced to lean on him Thursday with how thin they are. They signed former NBA player Javonte Smart, but he might not be ready to go yet, so it should be Dos Santos and Adam Hanga running the show if Teodosic is unable to go.
Gabriele Procida, ALBA Berlin ($6,500)
I'm a little biased as Procida is one of my favorite players in the league, but the talent is absolutely there and this price is about the only one I'd feel comfortableb taking an ALBA guard not named Sterling Brown. Procida is a long, athletic shooter who can get you two steals and double-digit DraftKings points in one rotation alone.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Alec Peters, Olympiacos Piraeus ($9,800)
Peters disappointed his last time out, but he now gets a beauty of a matchup at home against Maccabi. He should be chalk again, and for good reason.
Serge Ibaka, FC Bayern Munich ($10,100)
After sitting out Round 21, Ibaka should be well-rested and ready to attack ALBA's lowly defense in the German derby.
Jabari Parker, FC Barcelona ($10,200)
If he was playing anyone other than Efes and if either Laprovittola or Abrines were playing I wouldn't have any interest. Neither of those things are true, though, so a max-priced Parker remains in play. I do have some worry as far as the matchup goes, as Derek Willis should cover him, and since returning the Efes power forward has made things tough for opponents at the same position. Let's not forget Parker was drafted second overall in the NBA Draft, though. There's levels to this, and get your popcorn ready.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($9,100)
He's a last piece in deep GPPs only. The matchup isn't bad, but Pierric Poupet isn't letting his best players get minutes in the mid-30s since taking over as head coach, and that is really capping their upside and hurting their floors.
Valuable Values
Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,300)
Without Moustapha Fall, Milutinov should start and be pushed minutes-wise. He will likely be on more rosters than any other player on the slate, but barring foul trouble it will be tough for him not to provide useful value.
Jordan Mickey, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($7,700)
This situation is a lot like Milutinov's, though in my opinion Mickey is not as much of a lock. He's still a great play, but the situation is a bit different because there are more options to turn to if Mickey plays poorly. At the end of the day, though, the Virtus system was built for power forwards, Mickey is the most talented option they have and the matchup is particularly inviting.
Adam Hanga, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,200)
He is listed as a forward but may have to run the point and work as a shooting guard Thursday with Red Star thin in the backcourt.
Derek Willis, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,000)
The ceiling isn't great, but any time a player at this price is getting minutes in the 30s he has to be on the radar. He's a quality shooter who can make an impact when he gets enough shots up.
Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,200)
Mitrovic is of my favorite off-the-wall GPP plays Thursday. He has been slowed by an injury and was banged up Thursday, but he was able to finish the game. Red Star will be looking for a more offensive-minded lineup in Round 22, and I think Mitrovic could slide back into a starting spot.
Awudu Abass, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($4,700)
He should back up Mickey at the power forward spot and play some small forward as well. You could do worse than someone below the $5,000 mark who gets about 20 minutes.
Oscar da Silva, FC Barcelona ($4,200)
Joel Parra, FC Barcelona ($5,300)
They're mostly backing up Parker at the power forward spot, but if Parker gets into any sort of foul trouble I think one of them could have a ceiling performance. da Silva, in particular, has gotten really cheap.
