EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks: Round 6

This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.

Round 6 is here, and it's time to once again set your lineups for the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.

Once again there will be a wrinkle, as the scheduled game between Maccabi and Real Madrid was postponed to a later date. As was the case in Round 2, players on both teams will receive their average fantasy points for this Round. Last time around these scores were assigned to T1 -- the first day of the two days of games -- and if players are placed on the bench, they cannot be used Friday or be changed as captains.

With a few games in the books there won't be as many players to target this time as there were in Round, but the graph displays those who will return the most value if you include them in your lineups.

If you have any questions or comments about strategy or the picks below, feel free to drop those at the bottom of this article or reach out via @RotoWireEuro.

Now, let's get to the names!

Guard

Keenan Evans, Zalgiris Kaunas (13.7 credits)

Evans is off to a hot start, and he was particularly impressive over the last two Rounds, averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 6.0 free throw attempts and 6.5 fouls drawn. He will be facing an ASVEL team that allows the most PIR per game, and playing at home provides an advantage for both Evans and Zalgiris.

Paris Lee, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (10.9 credits)

Lee is a player to keep a close eye on. He's played two games since Gianmarco Pozzecco came aboard -- one EuroLeague contest and a domestic league game. He played 29 minutes in each and averaged 6.0 shots from the field and 8.0 assists per contest. Both the playing time and assist numbers represent a bit of a boost, so it looks like the coaching change will be favorable to him. There's no guarantee he maintains this new pace, but he shined in fantasy contests last year, so be ready to capitalize on his potential contributions.

Aleksa Avramovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (6.9 credits)

Avramovic is doing a lot more playing and a lot more scoring this season, and he provides great value for his price. His averages outside the scoring column may not stand out, but he's doing a little bit of everything in a lot of area, and that adds up to make him a valuable pick.

Forward

Nikola Mirotic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (17.0 credits)

Mirotic is an obvious choice, being one of the best players in the league and a focal point of Milan's offense. He's a reliable source of fantasy points, having racked up a lot of them in all five EuroLeague games he has appeared in this season.

Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (14.5 credits)

Shengelia continues to be a force to reckon with. This week Virtus is set to face Efes, a team that hasn't been performing well defensively. This could open up opportunities for Shengelia to shine even more. His statistics speak for themselves: he's averaging 9.8 field goal attempts per game with impressive shooting percentages -- 75.0 percent from inside the arc, 52.9 percent beyond it and 85 percent from the charity stripe. Shengelia isn't just a scorer, though, as he is also contributing across the board with 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 fouls drawn per game. His well-rounded game has translated to an outstanding 26.3 average index rting over the last three Rounds, which makes him one of the top-performing players in the league.

Zach LeDay, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (14.4 credits)

LeDay has a favorable schedule for the next five rounds, with matchups against Baskonia, Fenerbahce, Bayern, ALBA and Efes. Three of these teams -- Baskonia, ALBA and Efes -- have struggled to defend power forwards this season, which bodes well for LeDay. He's been seeing a significant amount of playing time, averaging 34 minutes over the last three Rounds. LeDay's offensive contributions in that same span are also noteworthy, as he's getting 8.7 field goal attempts, 5.7 free throws and 4.3 rebounds per game. Moreover, he's providing assists and crucially drawing fouls, taking 18 of them in all over the last three games. His ability not only to get to the line but also convert free throws -- "attempts" was omitted above for a resaon -- adds an extra dimension to his fantasy value.

Rolands Smits, Zalgiris Kaunas (11.2 credits)

Smits has stepped into a more prominent role for Zalgiris, averaging over 25 minutes per game while attempting 9.2 shots per night and shooting efficiently. Smits is a threat from beyond the arc, and his contributions extend beyond scoring. He's adding rebounds and fouls drawn to his fantasy stat line and is averaging 5.0 boards and 3.6 fouls drawn per game. What's more, Smits has been turning fouls into points with an impressive 92 percent success rate from the line. With favorable matchups against ASVEL and Efes in the next two rounds, Smits should continue to be a valuable fantasy asset.

James Nunnally, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10.3 credits)

With Kevin Punter sidelined due to injury for a week or two, Nunnally stands to see some additional opportunities. Punter's absence means that Nunnally -- already among the league leaders at 28 minutes per night -- could see more playing time and presumably an uptick in shot attempts. In addition to his scoring potential, Nunnally contributes 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In a more significant role, Nunnally is a particularly interesting fantasy prospect.

Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (9.4 credits)

Sedekerskis is certainly making the most of his 28 minutes per game, and his impressive 8.8 rebounds per game leads the league heading into Round 6. Sedekerskis put his full upside on display in Sunday's domestic game, playing 37 minutes for a shorthanded Baskonia team and producing 13 points and 14 rebounds. Sedekerskis was dinged himself in Round 5, but that's no longer a concern. As few as six Baskonia players could be at full speed for Round 6, and top producers Chima Moneke and Markus Howard could be limited if they take the court. Things could change at some point under new -- and former -- head coach Dusko Ivanovic, but circumstances may delay that, and Sedekerskis' relatively low price, consistent minutes and strong contributions make him a compelling fantasy option.

Center

Nikola Milutinov, Olympiacos Piraeus (15.1 credits)

Olympiacos is set to face Fenerbahce in Round 6, and the matchup seems promising for Milutinov. The Turkish team has allowed opposing centers to have impressive performances when they get a decent amount of playing time. Examples include Mathias Lessort putting up 25 PIR over 27 minutes, Brandon Davies notching 21 PIR over the same amount of minutes, Johannes Voigtmann snagging 21 PIR with 32 minutes, Devin Booker generating 16 PIR over 24 minutes and Joffrey Lauvergne logging 16 PIR in 25 minutes. Moreover, looking at the next five rounds, Olympiacos doesn't seem to be facing the toughest defensive teams in the league, as after Fenerbahce they will take on Baskonia, Maccabi, Red Star and Zalgiris -- all which are middle-of-the-pack at best when it comes to points allowed.

Jaime Pradilla, Valencia Basket (5.4 credits)

I recommended adding Pradilla as an affordable pick last Round, but he wound up playing just eight minutes and being blanked in the PIR department. I did at the time suggest he would be a two-Round play, and I'm sticking to that idea. In his last domestic appearance Pradilla played 15 and racked up four points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. He should be worth hanging onto for this Round, but Valencia will be embark on a tricky stretch afterward, so it might be wise to drop him before Round 7 and exploring other options for your fantasy roster.

Head Coach

Luca Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (6.9 credits)

Virtus is having a great run, and they will play a struggling Efes at home. Banchi has been leading his team to success, and this matchup seems favorable for another strong performance from both coach and team.

Kazys Maksvytis, Zalgiris Kaunas (6.3 credits)

Zalgiris will be playing at home against ASVEL -- one of the worst teams both on defense and offense. After a recent loss to Valencia, the Lithuanian team will be extra motivated to secure a victory. Maksvytis should guide his team to a strong showing.

Drop Candidates

Mike James, AS Monaco (16.3 credits)

With Jordan Loyd returning and Kemba Walker getting more involved, the situation regarding James becomes less clear, as his upside could be capped more than it was before. For the time being it might be prudent to remove James from your team and observe how Monaco's lineup evolves. Loyd played 21 minutes and scored 15 points in his season debut, so he looks ready to jump right into the rotation.

Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (12.1 credits)

Moneke missed last week's EuroLeague game and played just nine minutes in Sunday's domestic contest even with Baskonia down all kinds of players. Without another update on his health he will be a risky pick with Baskonia playing Friday.

Johannes Thiemann, ALBA Berlin (10.3 credits)

While it may not be a popular decision, I would consider dropping Thiemann. I made this move in the previous round when he faced Milan, and it turned out to be a bad decision as he generated 30 PIR in that game. In Round 6, ALBA will be playing against Valencia in Spain. Valencia has one of the best defenses in the league, and they excel at stopping opposing bigs. You can consider bringing Thiemann back into the fold in Round 7 or 8 when he has more favorable matchups against Panathinaikos and ASVEL.

Dalibor Ilic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (4.0 credits)

If you have Ilic on your roster it's probably time to cut the cord. He started promising but did not take the court in the last two EuroLeague games nor in Monday's domestic contest. At this point it's uncertain whether he will even play unless Red Star wins or loses by a significant margin, which is unlikely to happen against Bayern. When Ilic gets opportunities he can contribute a bit, but that's just not happening right now.

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