This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
First off I want to say that when it comes to DraftKings pricing, this feels like one of the more difficult slates we've had in some time. Why, you ask? Well, nearly every team playing Friday is at or close to full strength. This will make for some tough decisions, as the minutes and usage will be far more spread out. There is not much for injury news to track outside of Nicolas Laprovittola, who is on track to return Friday. More so we are awaiting starting lineups, as I will have more confidence in several players returning from injury if they open their games on the court. The Monaco/Efes game looks like the one to stack, but we are paying a premium for most of the players involved. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($11,800)
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($11,300)
I'm not going to separate these two today, as they're in the same boat. We know both are elite and are playing in the game with the highest over/under. With both squads at relatively full strength I think it's unlikely both guys return meaningful value, so we will have to choose wisely. I give a slight lean to James because his matchup is better, but it's very close.
Markus Howard, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($9,500)
The shot volume is just unparalleled on this slate. He gets a great matchup against Valencia and has the advantage of the home-court rims. Obviously we need him to light up the scoreboard, but he's getting so many shots up that if he just hits his averages you're right around 3x value.
Keenan Evans, Zalgiris Kaunas ($10,600)
The pace should be in his favor Friday with Zalgiris taking on Partizan. Evans has one of the highest usage rates in the league, and it's unlikely he will fail if this is a tight matchup and he is pushed to 30 minutes or more.
Chris Jones, Valencia Basket ($10,200)
Gone are the days where he had a tough time putting up 30.0 DraftKings points, as he has hit that mark several times recently. All he ever really needed was more minutes and he's getting them. I question the ceiling at this rate, but with how tight the pricing is Friday, I think we just have to rely on the floor in certain lineups.
Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona ($8,900)
Laprovittola is expected to return to action Friday. It's risky with him working back from an injury, but if he starts, I wouldn't mind dabbling with a microwave shooter of his shorts.
Valuable Values
Elie Okobo, AS Monaco ($7,700)
Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco ($6,500)
There aren't may safe options in this section, as a lot of guards are returning from injury Friday. However, one of these two could make for good leverage in lineups that don't include James, as they both have an elite matchup.
Aleksa Avramovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($5,200)
Avramovic returned from an extended absence over the weekend and a productive 11 minutes. His playing time Friday is uncertain, and he will likely be capped around 20 minutes, but he can rack up fantasy points quickly.
Jared Harper, Valencia Basket ($6,000)
Kevin Pangos, Valencia Basket ($4,300)
Although the minutes are uncertain, these two reserve guards for Valencia are in play as dart throws due to their playmaking ability.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Brandon Davies, Valencia Basket ($9,400)
He's been playing at a very high level and he's answered some of my questions about consistency lately. Fellow big man Boubacar Toure is out Friday, which leaves one less player to trot out there and take minutes from Davies. As such, I like the playing time floor for Davies even more.
Jabari Parker, FC Barcelona ($10,100)
Even if Laprovittola and his high shot rate return I think Parker is a fine play. He put up 20.5 DraftKings points last week despite a really tough night from the field.
Kevin Punter, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($9,100)
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($8,700)
There are a lot of similarities between these two players. First, in my honest opinion both are the best player for their teams. Second, both are ramping back up, as Shields will play his second game off an extended absence and Punter will return after missing Round 22 with an illness. Ideally both would start Friday, but I think they are fine options in GPPs even if they work off the bench.
Valuable Values
Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona ($8,400)
Willy Hernangomez, FC Barcelona ($7,700)
As they usually do, these two will split the minutes at the center spot, but at their prices they can hit 3x value. They are both in play as a last piece in your lineups.
Derek Willis, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,200)
Daniel Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,500)
Will Clyburn, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,600)
Tyrique Jones, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($6,900)
We've mentioned how frustrating Efes will be when they're back at full strength, and well, that time has arrived. The total in Friday's contest stands out, so there's a good chance one of these guys has a big night. Clyburn, who returned from a lengthy absence last week, is a natural small forward. The others fill either the power forward or center spots, and I'm lumping them together because their prices are so similar. The order above is how I would rank them for Friday's contests, but that could change based on the starting lineup. Efes has been using several configurations, and I will always have more trust in the players who open the game on the court.
Brady Manek, Zalgiris Kaunas ($6,800)
Manek has been playing well and was rewarded with his first start of the season in Round 22. I like this option and understand why he will be a popular pick, but it does feel a little like a trap. He does not do much in the peripheral stats, so there is a risk he finishes below 15.0 DraftKings points even with 25-to-28 minutes.
Arnas Butkevicius, Zalgiris Kaunas ($5,400)
If you avoid Manek, I think his teammate would be a sneaky pivot. He returned to action last week and likely would have played more had he not gotten into foul trouble.
Vanja Marinkovic, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($7,600)
Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($7,700)
Both players have seen their price decrease and will be last-piece options for me. Marinkovic is a microwave scorer who got going again in Round 22, and Sedekerskis brings double-double upside to the table.
