This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
Trust me, I too am asking how we have another slate with the three stud guards and a lack of safe value plays below the $6,000 mark like we saw Tuesday. Lately it seems like every slate Mike James and Shane Larkin -- and even Keenan Evans -- are on comes with few options to pair them with. Regardless, whenever these guys are available, the decision making usually starts with which one you want to go with. With the pricing on this slate and the longer rotations many of these clubs utilize I could see someone winning despite an errant pick, so there may be a bit more flexibility than usual. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($11,500)
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($11,000)
A large chunk of the field is going to have one of these two guys in their lineups. It's just the nature of how hard it is to get such good floors for these guys, and it is warranted. They're both dealing with the same situation, as their teams are getting healthier and eliminating the need for them to take on as much usage and force tough shots. With that being said, both guys can hit 45.0 DraftKings points regardless of who is on the court. I'd lean James here because he's at home in a pace-up game, but it's splitting hairs .
Keenan Evans, Zalgiris Kaunas ($10,700)
Evans has earned the right to be thrown into the conversation with the two players above, as he's shown an elite floor. He hasn't displayed the potential to hit 40.0 DraftKings points as regularly as the other two, but he has actually been more productive than Larkin on a per-minute basis. Efes has really improved defensively, so Evans needs to have an efficient scoring day.
Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona ($8,700)
This is a true wild-card play in GPPs, as having noted before the floor is abysmal. The price is low, though, and on a hot night he can match the players listed above him. He's either going to lift your lineup up or demolish any chance it has.
P.J. Dozier, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($10,200)
James Nunnally, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($8,800)
I'm adding Kevin Punter to this trio. He's listed as a forward on DraftKings but he typically fills a guard spot for Partizan. I firmly believe no one can accurately predict the results of these guys when they're all healthy, so I'll let you make the decision. Nunnally will likely come off the bench but is one of the most efficient three-point shooters in EuroLeague history. Dozier is on an unreal tear and is capitalizing on any mismatch he has. Punter is the heart and soul of this team and is more scoring-dependent than Dozier is.
Daniel Hackett, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($8,600)
Iffe Lundberg, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($7,100)
These guys are not the most comfortable clicks, but I really have interest if Alessandro Pajola is unable to go. Pajola is someone who runs the offense very efficiently, and when he's out it opens up 10-to-18 minutes of high-usage run for these two, who are forced to fill in at the point guard spot.
Valuable Values
Elie Okobo, AS Monaco ($7,700)
Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco ($6,900)
These two fill Robin roles while James plays Batman, and with how weak the guard pool is Wednesday, if one of them gets 20-to-24 DraftKings points you're happily taking that. Loyd typically gets the start while Okobo takes the second-unit role and plays a few more minutes due to his defensive skills.
Aleksa Avramovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($5,900)
We've seen how Partizan runs its rotation all season -- they go with the hot hand, and Avramovic is a guy who can fill it up off the bench. They missed his spark when he was out for an extended period, but he looked like he got his feet back in his 16 minutes against Zalgiris last week.
Rodney McGruder, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($4,900)
Nikola Mirotic returns, and although he's a power forward it's still another high-usage guy returning to the lineup. Maodo Lo, who has run the point when healthy, returned in Round 23 but was only able to play a couple minutes. I think we see Lo's minutes increase, so I'm curious what McGruder's role will be. One thing I do know is that head coach Ettore Messina values McGruder's defense, which I think guarantees him 15-to-18 minutes with the upside for more. The floor is low but there are not a lot of options to choose from.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($9,300)
Even with Milan as close to full strength as they have been in a while this price is too low, and it will lead to Shields being one of the more popular plays on the slate. He has a solid matchup against Panathinaikos, and he should pay off his price tag as long as he shoots it at even an average rate.
Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona ($8,900)
Willy Hernangomez, FC Barcelona ($8,000)
The frontcourt spots are extremely weak Wednesday, and I think that opens up the option to take one of Barcelona's centers. Virtus has had issues on the interior at certain times this year, and both these prices are right. They just need around 25.0 DraftKings points to deliver.
Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($9,800)
Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($9,700)
The matchup isn't great, but again there aren't a lot of frontcourt players to choose from, and in a home game I'd be lying if I said one of these guys won't put up 30.0 DraftKings points. The pace will likely be slow, but we just need these guys to get hot and mix in some defensive numbers with their usual averages.
Valuable Values
Rolands Smits, Zalgiris Kaunas ($7,700)
Laurynas Birutis, Zalgiris Kaunas ($7,400)
One thing head coach Andrea Trinchieri has done has gone away from is starting Kevarrius Hayes at the center spot, and these two have been getting the job done at the center spot. The versatile Smits can also fill the power forward spot and shoot threes. He just has to avoid fouls.
Will Clyburn, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,800)
Zach LeDay, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($7,700)
I'm calling this combo "The Tweeners." Both guys are oversized small forward who play a lot of different roles for their teams. It's unknown how they will be used, so they have rather low floors. However, both are priced below $8,000, and if they pop for 30.0 DraftKings points like LeDay did last week they are generally part of winning lineups.
John Brown, AS Monaco ($6,700)
He's not out there to score; he's out there to disrupt and be the Draymond Green of the EuroLeague. Howeve,r he's below $7,000 and could see 30 minutes in a home game with a good pace.
Kostas Antetokounmpo, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($4,800)
Ioannis Papapetrou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($4,500)
Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($4,700)
I know this is a larger group of players, but I feel like it would be useful to explain both their roles and the uncertainty in the EuroLeague. All three play relatively the same position and will play anywhere from 8-to-17 minutes. Antetokounmpo is out there to block shots and get rebounds, and he gives them awesome minutes when he's not fouling. Papapetrou returned last week and also gave them solid minutes. He's never been the best when it comes to fantasy points per minute but he's cheap. Hernangomez has not carved out the role many expected but he will eventually knock down some corner threes. At their rates all these guys need is around 14.0 DraftKings points.
Uros Trifunovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($4,400)
The game log looks terrible I know, but anyone at this price playing that many minutes is worth a dart when the value plays are minimal.
