This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
This will be the last day with EuroLeague games until Feb. 29, and I want to start by saying how difficult this slate is. DraftKings made pricing extremely tight, which we can normally navigate by focusing on up-tempo games or teams down a player or two. Unfortunately that is not the case Friday, as the games will be slow and the team are relatively healthy. This is going to lower the winning scores like we saw a couple times last week and afford you an underperforming player or two in your lineups. The most important update will center on Milos Teodosic. I will discuss below how to approach things if the Red Star guard is ruled out. Have a good break, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($12,000)
To play James at this price or not? That's easily the biggest question on the slate and one nearly everyone will need to answer when setting lineups. To put it simply, for him to return 3x value at this price he needs to hit his average DraftKings points, and even then that's only 3x. I would take even 33.0 DraftKings points given the rest of the slate, but it will be tough to round out the roster if James is included. The matchup isn't too bad and Monaco was blown out by Virtus last time they saw them, so perhaps James will have some extra motivation.
Keenan Evans, Zalgiris Kaunas ($11,200)
He certainly put our Jerian Grant defense to rest in Round 25, nearly hitting 50.0 DraftKings points in one of the toughest matchups possible. His price tag is elevated as a result, and he will now take on Red Star in Belgrade, which is one of the toughest environments in the EuroLeague. I think I'd rather spend the extra on James, but I understand this route if that's not attainable.
Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona ($8,900)
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona ($8,400)
Both Barcelona guards make sense Friday with how tough the pricing is. They both have a great matchup, and I really think at least one drops 27.0 DraftKings points, which is all we need. Satoransky is the safer option with more guarantees on his minutes, whereas Laprovittola has more upside but more risk.
Yago Dos Santos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($8,700)
Nemanja Nedovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($8,000)
Javonte Smart, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($6,700)
If Teodosic is ruled out, I will be going with one of the Red Star guards listed here. Dos Santos would presumably open at the point, and he has had some big games lately when he gets the bump in both minutes and usage. Nedovic is one of the league's best scorers but is scoring-dependent and could lose minutes if his shot isn't falling. Smart has been with the club for a month now, so he could get 20-to-25 minutes if Teodosic sits and he would make for a fun value play.
Valuable Values
Sterling Brown, ALBA Berlin ($7,700)
I wish I could explain the minutes. It really makes no sense to give one of your best players fewer than 20 of them in a game, but ALBA frequently frustrates. If I knew he would play fewer than 20 again I wouldn't have interest. On the flip side, if you could guarantee 24 minutes, I would have a lot of exposure even against a tough defense.
Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco ($7,400)
Loyd is a risky GPP play who was benched last week for some turnovers. If Virtus zeroes in on James, though, Loyd should benefit, and he could get up at least 10 shots if he sees the first couple go down.
Luca Vildoza, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($5,200)
The Panathinaikos backcourt has been frustrating, and it could remain so even with Kostas Sloukas out. However, if you told me Vildoza would get 17-to-20 minutes Friday, I'd lean on him at this rate. He has some playing time upside if Kendrick Nunn struggles at all.
Gabriele Procida, ALBA Berlin ($6,200)
Matt Thomas, ALBA Berlin ($6,900)
Matteo Spagnolo, ALBA Berlin ($6,600)
This is a longer list, but given ALBA's tendencies we will list them all, and they are so cheap that one or two could certainly return 3x value. Procida is a long, do-it-all wing who is among the best in the league at forcing steals. Thomas is a knockdown shooter, and Spagnolo is the floor general who has really started to blossom.
Dovydas Giedraitis, Zalgiris Kaunas ($4,800)
Martin Hermannsson, ALBA Berlin ($4,700)
These players are on different teams, but both are below $5,000. They have been starting on occasion, and if they do so again I think they're in play for the punt value.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($9,100)
I considered leaving this section blank, because the expensive forwards are overpriced and questionable plays. Luckily I found a few guys, and the one who caught my eye most is Hayes-Davis. He has been a bit rusty since returning from an extended layoff, but the price is right, and I'm banking on him performing like he did earlier in the season.
Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($9,500)
This is the cheapest he has checked in all season, but unfortunately he has a matchup against Monaco's athletic frontcourt that I don't love. I think the price outweighs that, and I think he can get 30.0 DraftKings points with rebounds and assists. We will need him to start, though, like he did in his Round 25 return.
Willy Hernangomez, FC Barcelona ($8,400)
I cannot get myself to play Jan Vesely at nearly $10,00 despite a great matchup, so I'll just go with Hernangomez off the bench and hope he gets within striking distance of his counterpart.
Alpha Diallo, AS Monaco ($8,800)
Diallo is a true wild card, but he has bounceback potential coming off a couple down games and is still getting around 30 minutes per night. If he gets us 27.0 DraftKings points we're in great shape.
Nikola Kalinic, FC Barcelona ($8,300)
The minutes are great and the price has dipped a bit. I don't mind him in cash games or as your last guy in GPP lineups.
Valuable Values
Johannes Thiemann, ALBA Berlin ($7,800)
One of ALBA's best players should return Friday. We don't have any word on what the minutes will be or if he will slide back into the starting lineup. If he starts I think he's one of the best salary-adjusted plays on the slate for GPPs. If he works as a reserve I'll still have interest, but I'll be very aware there's a floor of fewer than 15.0 DraftKings points.
Amine Noua, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($6,500)
Noua has been an incredible in-season addition for Fenerbahce, and he is filling the Dyshawn Pierre role well. He has also refused to cede any minutes to his fellow frontcourt players who recently rejoined the mix.
Bryant Dunston, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($6,000)
This is more of a floor play, but the veteran got 27 minutes in Round 25, and I think Virtus is starting to shy away from Ante Zizic. I think Virtus pushes their top players a bit with the break ahead, and Dunston could get us right around 3x value.
Edgaras Ulanovas, Zalgiris Kaunas ($7,200)
Rolands Smits, Zalgiris Kaunas ($7,900)
Brady Manek, Zalgiris Kaunas ($7,100)
Zalgiris forward roulette is as alive as ever with how tough the pricing is. I think one of these guys gets at least 20.0 DraftKings points, but it's tough to pinpoint who it will be. For added context, these three guys fill the two forward spots while Laurynas Birutis and Kevarrius Hayes share the center minutes.
Sertac Sanli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($5,500)
Georgios Papagiannis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($6,100)
I don't think you need a Fenerbahce center by any means, but the three they roll out are Johnathan Motley, Papagiannis and Sanli, who also plays some power forward. Motley got in foul trouble his last time out, and that could repeat against Mathias Lessort, who draws a lot of fouls. If either of these two guys gets 20 minutes, 3x is very possible. Papagiannis has a bit of a revenge angle against his former team, and he hit 3x value at this price when he faced Panathinaikos in Round 3.
