This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
It's the second of four days of action this week, and there is help on the way for a lot of EuroLeague team. We will see a handful of rotational players and borderline starters return Wednesday, and their teammates are priced to the ceiling, which makes DraftKings lineups tough to build. There are no true stacks that stick out with many teams likely giving a lot of players minutes, so I think starting lineups will be a key factor Wednesday -- particularly those involving returning players. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($12,000)
This is a steep price on a guy on a guy we have been locking into lineups, and now we have to think about including him or not. If Jordan Loyd remains out, though, the minutes and usage should remain maximized for James, and Wednesday's matchup with Panathinaikos should be a competitive one.
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($11,500)
We don't get them both on the same slate too often, but a big decision point Wednesday will involve going with Larkin or James. Efes is getting healthier, which limits Larkin's usage upside, but he's still elite and can save you $500.
Scottie Wilbekin, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($8,500)
This is a GPP shot here. The price is right, but if Wilbekin is not knocking down threes he's going to bury you. Still, when he's on he has upside for 35.0 DraftKings points, which is huge in this price range.
Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($9,200)
Nunn is priced to the max and worked off the bench last game. He played well but was not part of the closing group, which I feel was more of a scouting decision. As I've noted all year, the backcourt rotations for Panathinaikos are extremely fickle.
Paris Lee, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($8,800)
His price decreased a bit because of some foul trouble his last time out. ASVEL has not added a guard since parting ways with Frank Jackson a while back, so Lee will continue being pushed minutes-wise. Below the $9,000 mark, safe playing time is paramount.
Valuable Values
Diego Flaccadori, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($4,500)
Devon Hall, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($7,300)
Billy Baron, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($4,900)
With Milan down Maodo Lo -- not to mention Nikola Mirotic -- I'm looking to add one of these three guys to my rosters. Flaccadori has looked very good, but I'd be careful going too heavy on him, because Nikos Rogkavopoulos looked too good to be true Tuesday and it turned out he was. Hall has been shooting amazing, and if it continues he can pay off this tag. Baron is set to see his first EuroLeague action of the season, and he is coming off an elbow injury so his conditioning should be fine. He's an interesting pivot off a chalky Flaccadori if one of your players tosses up a dud in the early games.
Nick Calathes, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($6,600)
Tyler Dorsey, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($6,300)
Fenerbahce's backcourt behind Wilbekin and Marko Guduric has been a revolving door. It has been very tough to pinpoint who exactly out of these two and Yam Madar will get minutes. Calathes will likely start, and Sarunas Jasikevicius leaned on him last week and it led to a win. Calathes may be leaving Fenerbahce, though, which could result in a rotation change out of nowhere. As such, it's unclear who will see more minutes between Calathes and Dorsey, but at these prices one of them could find himself in the winning lineup. Be sure to check Fenerbahce's starters for Round 15.
Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,900)
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($6,500)
I know I'm listing a lot of guys together, but that's just how this slate works out. There are a lot of players returning from injury and a lot of unknowns, so I'm simply providing as much information as I can to help you make the best decisions. Efes will likely be getting both of these guys -- Bryant more likely than Beaubois -- and Ante Zizic back Wednesday, so they will have a lot of mouths to feed. However, they are still light at the small forward spot, and these two could soak up the bulk of the minutes there. I suspect both work as reserves, but if one of them starts I am giving him the bump.
Austin Hollins, Zalgiris Kaunas ($3,600)
Edmond Sumner, Zalgiris Kaunas ($5,000)
Lukas Lekavicius might be returning for Zalgiris, making these two even more risky than they are. But if you want to load up on top-tier players you can throw a dart at one of these guys and hope he sees extended run. Both have low floors and are risky GPP-only plays.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($11,100)
Shields gets a great matchup, and I feel like there's still some juice to squeeze -- perhaps in the form of 40.0 DraftKings points. If the shots aren't falling, though, I fear the floor is around 18.0-20.0 points.
Serge Ibaka, FC Bayern Munich ($10,300)
He had a rough night last time out and still reached 20.0 DraftKings points, which is which is actually encouraging. Wednesday he will be playing in a game that should be fast-paced against a team that is soft on the interior.
Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($10,700)
Monaco has done a very good job defending stretch forwards this year, but Mitoglou has beaten tough matchups all season, and as long as Juancho Hernangomez continues to underperform Mitoglou will continue seeing minutes in the mid-30s.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($10,200)
You truly can't argue with 33+ minutes every game from a guy who just stuffs the stat sheet. Sometimes minutes are all you need in these contests.
Joffrey Lauvergne, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($9,600)
He's been a double-double threat every time out lately, and he continues getting mismatches while occupying the power forward spot. The matchup isn't easy but I still love the floor.
Valuable Values
Mike Scott, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($7,600)
He followed up an abysmal shooting performance in Round 13 by getting into foul trouble in Round 14, which has led to a decrease in salary. He will come off the bench and is scoring-dependent but I like him as a last piece in Wednesday's lineups.
Isaac Bonga, FC Bayern Munich ($7,700)
Bayern is getting healthy so the minutes could fluctuate. However, if Bonga is playing well and not fouling, Pablo Laso keeps him out there. Bonga is generally reliable when the pace is favorable, and he will have the size advantage Wednesday at the small forward position.
Youssoupha Fall, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($7,400)
Milan is very good on the interior, but they have no true height in their rotation. As such, when they face guys like Fall who stand seven feet tall, these players usually find some measure of success if they avoid the fouls.
Dyshawn Pierre, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($7,200)
He has started every game he has appeared in this season and got off to a very hot start his last time out before running into foul trouble early in the second half.
