We are once again heading into a double-week, but this one is among the strangest as in EuroLeague Round-23; 9 of the 10 games will be played on the first day (T1) and Tuesday with the only game scheduled for the second day being Virtus Bologna vs Fenerbahce. For this reason, we must definitely take this schedule into account when setting our Round-23 strategy.
The best options available to us are either to include at least one player from T2 who is good enough to be used as a captain or if we are going to build our entire roster with players who play on the first day (T1), to construct it around players with more reliable and clearer PIR output.
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
Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris Kaunas (17.2 credits)
In Round-22, after a slow start against Maccabi, Francisco completely exploded in the second half and brought his team back into a game that already looked decided. He did everything he could for Zalgiris until the final seconds, even though the team failed to convert two wide-open three-point shots at the very end. With Zalgiris playing both games of the double-week on the road, we already mentioned in last week's article that Francisco's strong away performances, especially in periods when Williams-Goss is absent. Sticking to the same premise, we once again position him as the guard with the highest upside among the available options.
Wade Baldwin IV, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (14.6 credits)
This could really be viewed as a King Baldwin appreciation post.Trucking on his eyes set on the January MVP award, Wade has delivered 20+ PIR performances in all four games he has played so far this month, with three more games still to come in January. The toughest of those remaining matchups on paper is the Round-23 road game in Bologna, as if he gets through that one without any issues, expectations will naturally be high for the remaining home games against Baskonia and Efes.
Considering that the only T2 (second day) game in Round-23 is Virtus vs Fenerbahce, Wade also stands out as a solid Plan-B option if things go wrong with the initial captain selection.
Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Munich (9.6 credits)
When we take a closer look at his last three games, he completely went off in the Round-20 matchup against Baskonia, pouring in an incredible 37 points. In the following games against Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, he produced 17 and 16 PIR respectively, which is a very solid output considering the level of difficulty and the fact that, against both Greek teams, one of the elite defensive assignments in the EuroLeague was specifically to shut Obst down. Considerin on Bayern set to play both games of the upcoming double-week at home, matchups against teams like Partizan, who are already out of the playoff race, often turn into high-scoring affairs. And when it comes to scoring for Bayern, no one fits the role of a EuroLeague sniper better than Obst.
Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (12.4 credits)
Nunn will be out due to his injury, and it is a fact that Panathinaikos desperately need a win against Baskonia. Many pundits know that Ataman's system is heavily driven by guard play. When we look at the situation more closely, whether Nunn is available or not, the signals coming from TJ Shorts it negatively that the club is already aware they have lost him. For this reason, only two elite-level guards remain in coach Ataman's hands: the defence minister Jerian Grant and his prince, Sloukas. First of all, it is a reality that Baskonia have virtually no chance in Athens. Secondly, if we end up watching a high-scoring game, Sloukas could appear as a true virtuoso who taking on the role of orchestra conductor for his team.
Forward
Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus (20.3 credits)
Most EuroLeague Fantasy coaches who have Vezenkov on their roster simply lock in the Bulgarian forward as their captain and lean back without even considering an alternative option. After an unusually poor stretch in Rounds-11 and 12, where he posted back-to-back 10 and 6 PIR performances and raised the question of "Is Vezenkov no longer the same level?", he immediately bounced back and got back on track. Starting from Round-13, he has not dropped below 20 PIR in nine consecutive games (we are excluding the postponed Round-14 game against Fenerbahce, although according to the game rules he still received his weekly average of 21.71 PIR for that round). While we were still trying to fully digest how dominant this run has been, he has also produced no less than 30 PIR in each of the last three weeks. This clearly shows that, unlike the slightly declining performances of Nunn and Elijah Bryant in recent weeks, a full-speed MVP candidate has emerged on the horizon. In Round-23, they will face Maccabi, whose biggest strength lies in the power forward position with the double-trouble duo of Jaylen Hoard and Roman Sorkin, but if Vezenkov approaches this matchup with a "challenge accepted" mindset, both will have their work cut out for them.
Isiaha Mike, FC Bayern Munich (9.1 credits)
Mike was unable to play in the Round-19 game against Maccabi due to a minor injury issue. In the three games he has played since then, his minutes on the floor have increased significantly, partly due to Coach Pesic taking over the team, and naturally this has led to a rise in his PIR production as well. In Coach Pesic's small-ball system, Mike usually logs minutes at power forward, which allowed him to grab 7 rebounds in both the Baskonia and Olympiacos games, directly boosting his PIR output. On the other hand, Partizan is his former team, and after Coach Obradovic left the club, he stated in his public comments that he was strongly against letting Mike leave during the summer transfer window but ultimately could not prevent it. This means the most reliable way for Mike to show Partizan's board what they missed out on is through his performance in this matchup.
Cedi Osman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (12.3 credits)
After recommending Sloukas in the guard section, it is now time to highlight another Panathinaikos player at the forward position. The main reason for this is that PAO are clear home favorites against Baskonia and another key factor is that in Nunn's absence, usage will be redistributed among the rest of the roster. Just as it is easy to predict that Sloukas will step forward in terms of on-court leadership, it is also highly likely that the ball will find Cedi's hands more often, especially in transition situations and when attacking closeouts. Having produced 15 and 16 PIR in his last two games, Cedi has established a solid baseline and this matchup looks like the type of game where he could take a step further and emerge as the team's scoring leader.
Center
Dan Oturu, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (14.0 credits)
Last week, before the Round 22 away game against Asvel, Oturu was listed as a Game Time Decision due to a minor injury he sustained in a domestic league match, leaving his availability uncertain. Once on the court, he put on a show in the second half by finishing the game with 18 points and 7 rebounds for a total of 25 PIR. Their next opponent is his former team—and the team he first joined the EuroLeague with—Anadolu Efes, who are currently struggling in recent games. Had Poirier been healthy, he might have posed a challenge for Oturu, but into these circumstances which is his absence has now been confirmed, his sets the stage for a matchup in which Oturu could dominate the painted area from start to finish.
Mouhamet Diouf, Virtus Bologna (8.4 credits)
It's worth noting that Diouf, one of the most "extra factor" centers in the EuroLeague this season, has seen his minutes on the court drop significantly in recent games. On the other hand, in Round-13 against Fenerbahce on the road, he logged 29 minutes—the most he has played in a single matchup so far. The main reason for this is that Fenerbahce tends to focus much more on guard defense, which often leaves their interior defense weaker. Coach Ivanovic has surely taken this into account, and in Wednesday's game, it's likely that Diouf, as a strong finisher in the paint, will be assigned a highly important role in the game plan.
Head Coach
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus (8.6 credits)
Last week's 38-point blowout on the road may have been overlooked by many, perhaps because it came against Partizan, but the game clearly highlighted how frighteningly deep Olympiacos' roster is, as even players who usually see limited minutes stepped up and made an impact. Heading into Round-23 against Maccabi at home, the Piraeus side knows they need a flawless performance during this stretch if they want to maintain their spot in the top four and secure home-court advantage.
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (8.2 credits)
Ataman has been in the spotlight recently for his critical comments about his players' individual performances. After the Round-20 home loss to an Emporio Armani Milano team with many gaps, which sparked intense fan protests, it seems the fixture schedule is coming to the Greens' rescue. Even though they will be without their key player Nunn in Round 23 against Baskonia, the squad already has the group of players capable of doing what's needed. They are aware of expectations, and there couldn't be a better opportunity to make peace with the fans.
Drop Candidate
Filip Petrusev, Dubai Basketball (14.1 credits)
He might not even recognize himself in recent weeks. Petrusev, who started the season explosively and was expected to be a serious rival to Vezenkov and Moneke, has hit rock bottom over the last three weeks, averaging just 4 PIR. Meanwhile, his two competitors have taken their game to another level and continue to carry their teams. Naturally, this contrast has made Petrusev stand out even more—for the wrong reasons. Whether his performance will shift upward from this point is questionable, especially now that all the team's injured players have recovered, and with Dzanan Musa returning in Round-23. In this crowded rotation, the need for Petrusev will likely decrease significantly.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, rosters and everything else, head to RotoWire's latest EuroLeague news or follow @RotoWireEuro on X.
