We have reached the final games of the first half of the season. A quick look at the standings already makes it clear that we are in for another highly competitive year.
There is a reminder before we start: due to the New Year's schedule, Round 19 will be split across two different days. First-day games will be played Tuesday, while the second set of games will take place on Friday. As such, we won't have all the injury information we typically do.
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 on X via @RotoWireEuro.
Good luck on your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge journey!
Guard
Elijah Bryant, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (17.2 credits)
To start off clearly, rather than focusing on this week alone makes sense to consider Bryant as a long-term pick when taking into account the fixture advantage of the next five games. If Hapoel can make good use of the fixture in January, they will solidify their position in top 4 and although it is still early about MVP discussions, Bryant's name will stand out more clearly. Vasilije Micic is uncertain for Round 19, even if he plays he is unlikely to be fully fit. Already leading the guards with an average of 22.12 fantasy points, now is the perfect time for Bryant to further extend the gap with the others.
Kevin Punter, FC Barcelona (14.7 credits)
At least as much as Bryant, we can also talk about a fixture advantage for Punter. The first game of his upcoming three consecutive home-court stretch comes against Monaco, which is clearly the toughest of the three. In the games that follow against Maccabi and Partizan, expecting Punter to carry his team is not a responsibility beyond his limits. In his last three home games, he delivered spectacular PIR performances -- 33 against ASVEL, 27 versus Olympiacos, and 40 against Baskonia -- playing a direct leading role in all of those victories. Now, standing in front of him is a revenge opportunity from last season's playoff matchup. He will be tasked with standing up almost alone against the Mike James & Okobo duo and his killer instinct remains the key trait that ensures he will not step back from this tough challenge.
Luca Vildoza, Virtus Bologna (9.7 credits)
Looking at his performances over the past two weeks, it almost feels like Vildoza and Carsen Edwards have swapped roles! Vildoza has very effectively filled the leadership void left by Edwards who has fallen well below expectations, using his experience to step up in recent games. Despite a slow start to the Euroleague season, he has not backed down and has fought hard to improve his minutes and role within the team. The Argentine guard, who knows exactly what coach Ivanović expects from him from their time together at Baskonia, can further solidify his position in the team if he makes good use of the two upcoming home games in his fixture advantage.
Cameron Payne, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10.5 credits)
Before his EuroLeague debut last week, the main question on everyone's mind was: "What is this guy doing in the EuroLeague? Why couldn't he get an NBA contract?" Many who asked this eventually concluded that "there must be something on him," leaving a question mark in their minds about the player. However, Payne's quality shone through. Despite not playing competitively since last season and not participating in any summer camps with a team, he made his debut and produced 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in 24 minutes by standing out as the only bright spot for Partizan in a nightmare game against Maccabi. In Round 19, Partizan will travel to face a tough Valencia side, and while most expect them to be underdogs, if they have any hope of staying in the game, it will certainly rely on Payne.
Forward
Chima Moneke, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (16.7 credits)
Moneke made an outstanding start to the season through the first nine Rounds, but a subsequent injury that kept him off the court for two games slightly disrupted his rhythm. Just as things seemed to be getting back on track, he missed two more consecutive games in Round 15 and Round 16, which once again raised question marks around his reliability. However, since then, the signs have been encouraging. In Round 17 returning from injury, he produced 18 PIR despite not playing his usual minutes and without being heavily pushed by coach Obradovic. This was followed by an impressive 30 PIR performance in Paris, even in a blowout loss for his team, clearly indicating that he has re-established himself as a dependable fantasy option. This week, Moneke will take the court on the road against Efes, a team that needs a win just as much as the Belgrade side. He has consistently shown the ability to maintain a high individual performance level regardless of his team's overall result, making him a solid consideration once again in EuroLeague Fantasy.
Roman Sorkin, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (13.0 credits)
As in last season, Maccabi's most trusted position remains the power forward duo and this week the player we rely on more is Sorkin. This is because opposing teams are taking extra measures specifically against Hoard, building their game plans around stopping him. Sorkin has taken advantage of this space and produced spectacular performances in some games. Additionally, with Lundberg joining Maccabi during their current five-game winning streak, it seems to have benefited the Sorkin&Hoard duo the most. On their four-game road trip, Maccabi convincingly won the first leg by exceeding the expectations. In Round 19, facing a target game against Bayern Munich, the Israeli side will want to secure the win and head into the tough Spanish road matches with confidence, with Sorkin's contributions likely to be decisive.
Kameron Taylor, Valencia Basket (11.8 credits)
The Round 18 game against Baskonia might have ended very differently if Taylor had been able to stay on the court a bit longer. Still, producing 17 PIR in just 19 minutes was an eye-catching performance. Taylor plays a major role in Valencia's form this season, which has clearly exceeded expectations, largely thanks to his intense and wearing defensive presence. In Round 19, Valencia will once again play at home, this time against Partizan. They will not be fooled by Partizan's heavy home loss to Maccabi last week and will be preparing seriously for a tough battle against Peñarroya, a coach they have faced many times before. Once again, the key to the game will undoubtedly be Taylor.
Edwin Jackson, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (4.3 credits)
Here comes the surprise pick of the week. After a long injury spell that kept him out for 11 games, Jackson caught the eye by producing 9 PIR in 15 minutes during a tough road game against Olympiacos. Despite that, he logged fewer minutes than expected last week against Efes in a double-overtime game, largely due to Nando De Colo's return from injury. There is no need to expect a very high PIR output, but considering Jackson's strong performances in the French domestic league, facing a team he is also familiar with from the same league works in his favor. As the name suggests, this is a surprise pick and when his credit value is taken into account, it looks like a reasonable gamble.
Center
Vincent Poirier, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (11.9 credits)
After his former coach Laso took over, Poirier's importance within the team's system has increased significantly. In their first game under Laso, Efes earned a convincing road win against Žalgiris, but the two games that followed did not go as expected, resulting in back-to-back losses. Still, when looking at the situation from Poirier's perspective, a clear tactical shift is noticeable. Under former coach Kokoškov, the offense in the painted area was more focused on power forwards, whereas it has now largely transitioned into pick-and-roll actions centered around Poirier. It is difficult to predict whether Efes will be able to gain the upper hand against Crvena Zvezda, but one thing is certain: Poirier is currently one of the most popular centers in the EuroLeague.
Mbaye Ndiaye, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (7.9 credits)
For those looking for a budget-friendly center, this is your guy. Last week, both ASVEL centers, Ndiaye and Vautier, played the best games of their careers, with Vautier even being named MVP of the round. Of course, this was somewhat overshadowed by Real Madrid's loss to Monaco and Campazzo's legendary 41 PIR performance. Still, the reason to look more positively at Ndiaye than Vautier is his performance the week before. Despite a blowout loss on the road against Olympiacos, he produced 15 PIR and was one of the few players who managed to stand out for his team. With his form clearly on the rise, he is expected to deliver another solid performance against Paris, a team they are also familiar with from the French league.
Head Coach
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid (7.6 credits)
If we were to describe Dubai, whom Real Madrid will face in Round 19, they can be labeled as an unpredictable team. Despite it being their first season in the EuroLeague, they have exceeded expectations by adding experienced players to their roster, and they have managed to secure road wins this season against teams such as Fenerbahçe and Efes. On the other hand, from Real Madrid's perspective, having ASVEL and Maccabi in back-to-back games after the Dubai matchup can be considered a relatively favorable fixture. For that reason, selecting Scariolo can be viewed as a wise move as a three-game coaching pick.
Pedro Martínez, Valencia Basket (7.0 credits)
Partizan are currently going through a turbulent period and new head coach Joan Peñarroya is still searching for solutions. However, Round 19 does not look like the ideal moment to turn things around, as they will face Valencia away from home—one of the toughest road assignments in the league. Valencia have been extremely reliable on their own court, boasting an impressive 8–1 home record, which makes this matchup even more challenging for the Serbian side. It's clear that coach Pedro Martínez will be fully focused on maintaining this strong home-court momentum.
Drop Candidate
Jordan Nwora, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (12.5 credits)
Regardless of whether he is available to play this week, Nwora should not be considered a Fantasy option. The warning signs were already very clear in Round 18, where he delivered a highly disappointing performance. One bad game can happen to any player, but finishing with -1 PIR is only part of the problem. The bigger concern was his limited role as he stayed on the court for just 15 minutes, which is close to a worst-case scenario from a Fantasy perspective. This usage may indicate that coach Obradović's trust has been shaken and that is always a red flag in EuroLeague Fantasy. On top of that, Nwora missed the weekend domestic game due to a minor injury which is adding even more uncertainty to his status and rotation role.
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