This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.
If we take a look at the EuroLeague standings, the competition for both the Playoffs and Play-In Showdown is extremely tight. There is only a one-win difference between second-place Fenerbahce and seventh-place Red Star, and even 15th-place Baskonia still has a chance to make the Play-In. There are just 12 Rounds to go in the regular season, and it seems we may have to wait until the final one to see how everything unfolds!
As for the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, the double-game week is behind us, and we have another period of unlimited trades. This is the second to last one, so let's make the most of it -- even though that will be a little trickier than usual with lineups locking early due to Wednesday's game between Partizan and Paris.
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.
Let's get to the players!
Guard
Theo Maledon, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (17.0 credits)
According to the latest statements from ASVEL's chairman, who is known as San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker it will be really tough to keep Maledon on their team for the next season. It was reported that not only Real Madrid as written in the media, but also many NBA general managers have called Parker to inquire about Maledon's situation. The player himself has obviously brought a new breath to ASVEL and after many years, ASVEL has a chance to play in the Playoffs, or at least the Play-In. They are not the favorites in their upcoming game against Barcelona, but individually the young French guard will cause trouble for the opposing defense.
Sterling Brown, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (11.8 credits)
January is officially his month; looking at his last 4 games, he produced 25, 22, 19, and 33 PIR. Of course one of the reason is was also influenced by Duane Washington's absence during the double-week, but Brown's shine had started a few weeks earlier. In the last domestic league game, Brown scored 25 points and was the top scorer on the floor. He will continue to be one of the biggest assets for his team who will play their games at home in Rounds 23 and 24.
Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (10.3 credits)
He was having a great January until the second game of last week against Baskonia away. However, it might be too early to give up on the player, as in the domestic league derby on monday, Grant was the top scorer of his team with 18 points along with Cedi Osman. In Round 23, Panathinaikos will face Zalgiris who has two guards capable of creating their own chances. In order to control them, head coach Ergin Ataman will always need a top-level defender on the floor, which is why it is possible to foresee that Grant will get plenty of minutes in this game.
Isaiah Canaan, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (7.5 credits)
After gaining momentum, Canaan could cause big problems for Maccabi, who are having a tough time on the defensive end. Although he did not perform well in the game between the two teams in Round 17, his performance was generally below average at that time. However at the last game, he played a key role in his team's victory over tough opponent Monaco by producing 22 PIR, it's a good opportunity to continue his rise in this upcoming match.
Forward
Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (14.6 credits)
It already seems like this season will not end well for Virtus, but with the coaching change, the Dusko effect also came into play and they managed to get a surprise win at Bayern, considering that they have not lost many games at home this season. Shengelia's strong return after his 5-game injury period and his leadership in the absence of Will Clyburn is highly valuable. Their next two games are tough: Monaco at home and Fenerbahçe away. Although the team's chances of winning these two games are not very high, it should still be the kind of matches where Shengelia can continue at his high-level individual performance.
Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (16.9 credits)
The main reason why Fantasy coaches did not favor him before the double-week was his ineffective performance at Virtus away. However, in the second leg of the double-week, he literally dictated the game against Panathinaikos and led his team to victory with producing 29 PIR. Two very tough fixtures are ahead, with Real Madrid and Barcelona coming up, but Moneke's familiarity with these two teams from the domestic league will be an advantage. In their league game, he put on a real show by scoring 33 points and grabbing 9 rebounds named as kind of a performance signaling a return to his form from the last season.
Filip Petrusev, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (11.7 credits)
Together with Joel Bolomboy returning from injury and the addition of John Brown, the painted-area players have increased in number, and naturally rotation minutes have changed. Now it seems that Petrusev's minutes around 20 which may seem low at first, but if you consider that he is averaging 17.4 minutes this season, actually makes him more valuable as playing with an average of 14.90 Fantasy Points in such a short time. Long story short, staying on the court for 20 minutes seems to be more than enough for Petrusev and he will surely do his best for the team which is aiming for a win against Maccabi.
Cedi Osman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (9.3 credits)
This is the first time we have mentioned Osman this season, as a Panathinaikos club that has been hit hard by injuries seems to have completely changed their playing identity. The team is known for their tough defense, has shifted their approach to "winning games by scoring much more than the opponent" recently. Playing in such a system suits a player like Osman, especially after his 18-point performance in the domestic league derby against Olympiacos where he seemed to regain his confidence.
Center
Tyrique Jones, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (14.6 credits)
The athletic center who averaged 30.0 PIR during the double-game week was undoubtedly the most productive player in these two games and he was the most crucial piece in Partizan's perfect record for the week. With their next two games being at home, Partizan is stepping into a favorable fixture and during this period, the duo of Jones and Carlik Jones will continue to be their most reliable players.
Wenyen Gabriel, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (9.7 credits)
Omer Yurtseven will be sidelined for a month or two due to an injury, and thus, Gabriel is now the only healthy center on the team. It's worth noting that Konstantinos Mitoglou can also play in the center position, but he was unavailable for both the EuroLeague game against Baskonia and the domestic league derby clash against Olympiacos. Gabriel is looking at 20 minutes or better, and this presents a huge opportunity for him to prove himself.
Head Coach
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (8.4 credits)
After a disappointing performance during the Spanish away tour of the double-week, Panathinaikos found a boost from their domestic league derby victory against Olympiacos at home which lifted their team morale. Given how many players are missing, the team's reaction was very valuable. In order to maintain the momentum, the upcoming game against Zalgiris this week is definitely one they can win.
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich (4.7 credits)
Last week, Bayern who had been performing well at home all season, probably caught half of the Fantasy Coaches off guards via collapsed in the final moments of their match against Virtus and suffered a defeat. The upcoming game against Berlin is particularly important for both teams, as for Berlin who have no play-out targets, a win against Bayern in front of their home crowd has always been one of their main goals of the season. Nevertheless, Bayern will fight until the last drop of blood to redeem last week's defeat and stay competitive in the race.
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