This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.
Round 24 precedes the final double-game week before the EuroLeague hiatus, so it's the calm before the storm!
Watching crucial games between two teams has now become normal, and it's worth mentioning that 14 teams are still pushing for playoff spots. We have ample time to delve into which teams will make the Play-In and which ones will fall short, but for now we will focus on the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.
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.
And off we go!
Guard
Mike James, AS Monaco (16.9 credits)
If you are planning to stick with a steady player until the end of the double-game week, here is the last MVP. His team will play three consecutive home games, and both Elie Okobo and Jordan Loyd will miss this Round, which figures to offer more opportunities to Monaco's captain. In the last game, he showed a clear rise in form by producing 28 PIR against Virtus on the road. The EuroLeague star will be the most trusted player for his team in the tough match against Real Madrid.
Rokas Jokubaitis, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (12.7 credits)
At the beginning of the season, there was a Tamir Blatt frenzy among many fantasy coaches, positioning him as the team's natural leader at the guard position. However, the season did not go that way and after struggling with occasional injury problems he lost his initial momentum. The seat he vacated has been well filled by Jokubaitis who has been performing excellently in recent weeks by producing 27, 22, and 19 PIR in consecutive games. In Round 24, his team will face Alba Berlin, a team with no aim to reach, and he will aim to finish this relatively easy match with another statistically satisfying performance.
Lonnie Walker IV, Zalgiris Kaunas (12.2 credits)
Predicting which guard will have a good game from the duo at Zalgiris is almost like rolling a dice! On the other hand, considering the next 3 games will be played at home for the Lithuanian side, it will be decisive for their season's direction and also a good opportunity for Lonnie Walker to improve his recent form, which has fallen below expectations.
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco (7.8 credits)
Picking two guards from Monaco might not seem like the wisest move, but at least one of them is highly recommended! Since Spanoulis' arrival, despite there being many guard options in the team, Strazel's role has visibly increased. The Real game will almost be a statement game for him. Looking at his last 5 games, he has been producing 16.68 Fantasy Points on average. Given that Calathes is still recovering from injury, and Okobo and Loyd will also be unavailable, Strazel will play an important role again.
Forward
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko (16.4 credits)
In the huge win over Olympiacos away last week, despite scoring 14 points he only produced 7 PIR, which is too low for a player of his caliber. However on the other hand, choosing to focus more on stopping Sasha Vezenkov at the second half of the Olympiacos game and successfully executing that task was a different challenge for him and it must be acknowledged that he accomplished it. In Round 24, the next game will be against Virtus and if we recall the match played in Bologna in Week 11 of the season, he led his team to victory by scoring 19 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. Another game where he can produce similar high scores is ahead of him.
Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (13.0 credits)
According to the latest statement by Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos will not be making any moves to replace Mathias Lessort and Omer Yurtseven at the center position which means more responsibility for players like Hernangomez and Konstantinos Mitoglou, who primarily play as power forwards. It is likely that we will see Mitoglou more often in the center position, which makes it quite easy to infer that Juancho will play at least 30 minutes per game at the power forward spot.
Tyson Ward, Paris Basketball (10.6 credits)
For Paris Basketball, the spotlight is generally on TJ Shorts and Nadir Hifi, but Ward is the indispensable player in terms of athleticism via providing significant contributions as a forward. Having produced 24 and 19 PIR in the last two games, he has shifted his form upward and in the upcoming derby match at home, a lot will depend on him.
Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (7.5 credits)
The young forward has produced over 10 PIR in all of his last 5 games, and with a nine percent selection rate among fantasy players he is quite popular -- and rightly so. He used to get criticism for his lower performances in away games, but he has overcome this by producing 16 and 14 PIR in some of the toughest away games in the league against teams like Red Star and Olympiacos and is steadily progressing towards becoming a complete player. Typically strong in home games, it will be very difficult for Virtus to stop him.
Center
Daniel Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (10.4 credits)
If you are looking for a bargain this week, the opportunity is right in front of you! The tough away game against Olympiacos could be seen as a red flag, but on the other hand, the absence of Vincent Poirier in such a match creates a perfect opportunity to make a defender like Oturu vital. In the recent game against Milano, Oturu produced 15 PIR in just 17 minutes, and the increase in his minutes in the rotation will be beneficial for him.
Jasiel Rivero, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (9.6 credits)
Rivero has not quite found his rhythm since returning to action earlier this month, and he was limited to only 3 PIR his last time out. Despite that, he remains a trusted player, and a matchup with ALBA -- coupled with the absence of Jaylen Hoard -- provides the perfect opportunity for him to produce like he was earlier in the season.
Head Coach
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (7.7 credits)
Perhaps the best coaching performance we have witnessed from the Lithuanian coach since he joined Fenerbahce. Defeating Olympiacos who have a 7-game win streak with a dominant performance from start to finish on their home court is something that the remaining teams in the league will struggle to replicate. While Fenerbahce has had a better record on the road this season, there is a small chance of a Dusko Effect as troublemaker, but considering they have been getting such good results, should not expected them to make a mistakes now.
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (4.4 credits)
The win over Red Star has likely brought back the team's morale and self-confidence. Maccabi who have dealt with numerous injury issues throughout the season, played their last game with a full squad and won the game which was dominated from start to finish. Now they are willing to use this opportunity to continue their momentum against the bottom team in the EuroLeague. Together with their players in good shape, they will likely secure another victory.
Drop Candidates
Nick Calathes, AS Monaco (8.1 credits)
For a player who missed the first half of the EuroLeague season, the last 4 games he has played have not been as expected. Currently, he is only contributing defensively to the team, although it is not 2011 anymore and expecting a defensive performance like the one he delivered against Navarro in the final that year would be too high of an expectation. In the upcoming match against Real, he might not even be matched up with Facundo Campazzo. Considering that he is not much of a scoring option at the moment, a tough game is ahead for him.
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