To lead things off, a reminder that EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge lineups need to be entered early, as Round 22 begins with a one-game Wednesday followed by the usual Thursday/Friday matchups
As such, fantasy players will have captain options across three different days -- T1, T2 and T3.
Our overall strategy for the week is to invest in guards. The pool of forward options is quite limited, while the backcourt positions offer an abundance of strong choices. That's why, unlike our usual approach below, we have given more space to guards rather than keeping an equal balance between the positions.
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.
As always, good luck on your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge journey!
Guard
Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris Kaunas (16.9 credits)
Backcourt mate Nigel Williams-Goss -- per RotoWire's EuroLeague Injury Report -- will miss at least a couple weeks with an injury, and the significance of this development for Francisco cannot be overstated. A detailed look at Francisco's PIR impact with and without Williams-Goss reveals a striking contrast: when Williams-Goss is available, Francisco averages 17.3 PIR, but when Williams-Goss is out, he makes a major leap with an impressive 27.3 PIR. In addition to these numbers, Francisco performs about 3 PIR better on the road compared to home games, and his club's next three fixtures are all away.
McKinley Wright IV, Dubai Basketball (15.0 credits)
After an unexpected dip in Round 20 that led to many fantasy players avoiding him against a tough Fenerbahce defense the next time out, Wright answered all doubts in the best possible way by producing 28 PIR against the Turkish team. In Round 22, with Dubai set to host Virtus Bologna on its home court, and Wright remains the most reliable option on his team.
Armoni Brooks, EA7 Emporio Armani Milano (10.9 credits)
After a tough night against rival Virtus in Round 19, Brooks caught fire, posting 28 and 32 PIR in the two games that followed -- one of which came in a spot Victor Wembanyama just highlighted, the home stadium of Panathinaikos. Milan has gotten healthier in recent weeks, but Brooks' performance has risen in parallel. Milan will host Red Star in Round 22, and they figure to continue leaning on Brooks, who has become one of the top shooters on the continent.
Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Munich (9.3 credits)
With Carsen Edwards, Rokas Jokubaitis and eventually Spencer Dinwiddie all leaving the mix, Obst has become the top scorer for Bayern. The German guard, whose shooting ability has never been questioned and has long been considered among the elite, has gotten even more involved since Stetislav Pesic took over as head coach. Bayern are set to play three consecutive games in Munich, a detail that further boosts confidence in Obst. The only concern is that the first of those matchups comes against Panathinaikos and presumably Jerian Grant, but with Partizan and Valencia to follow there remains plenty of reason to believe in Obst.
Saben Lee, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (6.6 credits)
Lee has returned to Turkey, where he enjoyed the most significant breakout of his career with Manisa. After getting opportunities with both Maccabi and Olympiacos, Lee has gotten one more shot to prove himself in the EuroLeague, and he seems fully aware, posting 21 PIR against Paris and 20 PIR in Milan. Efes is having a rough go of it, but Lee is the least of their concerns. In Round 22, head coach Pablo Laso and his players will be looking to get back on track, and Lee -- particularly with Shane Larkin unavailable and Isaia Cordinier's status up in the air -- should continue getting ample opportunities.
Forward
Chima Moneke, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (17.4 credits)
If you were asked to find a TV series to summarize Moneke's recent form, "Last Man Standing" would be a perfect fit. Among the Moneke–Jordan Nwora–Codi Miller-McIntyre trio that looked like intimidating at the start of the season, Moneke is the only one who is still really clicking. With an average of 24 PIR over the last five games, Moneke is someone Red Star desperately needs to deliver, especially during an upcoming three-game road trip. In Round 22 he will face Milan, a team showing a significant rise in form, and his matchup will be against Zach LeDay, a tough opponent he has faced many times before. It could be a challenge, but Moneke is not the type of player who backs down from difficulty.
Nikola Mirotic, AS Monaco (14.2 credits)
A surprise scratch of Daniel Theis in Round 21 did not lead to a significant increase in Mirotic's minutes, but the fact that the Mirotic-Kevarrius Hayes duo was on the floor during the decisive stretch in which Monaco took control in a tough away environment may have planted some ideas in the head of head coach Vassilis Spanoulis. Theis is uncertain for Round 22, and if he remains sidelined Mirotic could deliver against a Paris team that ranks near the bottom when it comes to containing opposing big men.
Justinian Jessup, FC Bayern Munich (7.1 credits)
This might normally be a surprise pick, but given how he has fared lately and with Vladimir Lucic injured, Jessup has become a target for fantasy players. Like Obst, Jessup has gotten more involved since Pesic took over, and in the last two games he established himself as a rotational piece, logging around 25 minutes per game. He was even the star of the night in a Round 20 win over Baskonia, posting 22 PIR. Panathinaikos will present a different test, but considering the price it's tough to go wrong.
Center
Richaun Holmes, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (11.1 credits)
Holmes failed to make a strong start to the season aside from a few games, then entered a lengthy injury spell starting from Week 8; during that period, Kenneth Faried joined the team and immediately made an impact by being named Player of the Month. While all these developments initially pointed toward Holmes potentially losing his place in the rotation, he has risen from the ashes in the last two homecourt games via posting 18 and 24 PIR and judging by his minutes on the floor, head coach Ergin Ataman appears to have firmly re-established him as the main center. Considering a favorable schedule following the Round 22 matchup against Bayern -- with games against Baskonia, Maccabi and ASVEL coming up -- there seems to be no issue for Holmes in finding and sustaining his rhythm.
Moses Wright, Zalgiris Kaunas (12.6 credits)
Those who follow the EuroLeague closely will remember that Wright went through a turbulent stretch via delivering performances well below expectations in six consecutive games between Round 11 and Round 16. However, he has bounced back impressively from that slump by regaining the trust of head coach Tomas Masiulis, pushing his playing time back to around the 25-minute mark and lifting his form again by producing 20.38 Fantasy Points over the last five games. In Round 22, Wright will take the floor against Maccabi, a team that arguably owns one of the weakest painted-area defenses in the EuroLeague, and all he really needs to do in a game where Francisco plays the Batman role is embrace his Robin duties.
Head Coach
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (8.1 credits)
According to a poll conducted among EuroLeague GMs this week, Hapoel was ranked among the top four teams with the highest chances of reaching the Final Four. While this survey has no immediate impact in practical terms, it does offer a clear perspective on how other teams currently view Hapoel's status in the league. In Round 22, Hapoel will face ASVEL -- widely considered the weakest team in the competition -- and they simply cannot afford any mistakes in this matchup if they want to stay firmly on course toward their season objectives.
Jurica Golemac, Dubai Basketball (4.6 credits)
For those leaning toward cheaper coach options, here's your guy. In weeks where mid-tier coaches' ability to secure a win is uncertain, fantasy players typically face two choices: either go for a high-credit coach expecting at least 20 fantasy points, or pick a cheaper coach aiming for a smaller credit gain—while using the leftover credits to strengthen other player selections. Trusting Golemac fits exactly this kind of strategy. Dubai are favorites at home against Virtus, and confidence is even higher following their impressive win over Fenerbahce last week. That said, Ivanovic's teams have been tough to beat on the road this season, so it won't be an easy match.
Drop Candidate
Jordan Nwora, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (12.5 credits)
Nwora has been extremely inconsistent lately. While he is averaging 17.88 Fantasy Points for the season, his production has dropped significantly over the last five games, where he is averaging just 12.28 fantasy points. This decline has directly reflected on Red Star's recent performances, and for the team to get back on track, Nwora needs to rediscover the rhythm he showed earlier in the season. However, since Jared Butler's arrival, it has become quite clear that both Nwora and Miller-McIntyre are struggling to adapt to their new roles within the team, which raises serious concerns about Nwora's short-term reliability.
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