This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.
The regular season is over, and the postseason begins. At the same time, the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge continues.
Tuesday's Play-In Showdown leads to a tight player pool with only two games, four head coaches and around 40 players to choose from. To narrow it down further, let's dive into players priced at or under 10.0 credits. Naturally, there will be plenty of red flags -- that's just the nature of a Round with so few games.
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 the EuroLeague Playoffs begin!
Guard
Codi Miller-McIntyre, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (9.9 credits)
Miller-McIntyre is logging the most minutes among sub-10 credit players — over 30 minutes in each of his last two games. He's also attempted double-digit field goals in five straight. Add in rebounds and assists and you've got a guy with real potential.
Nemanja Nedovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (9.0 credits)
Nedovic played 32 minutes and put up 28 PIR in the final regular season game. That was his only game this season with 30+ minutes, but in a win-or-go-home Play-In, it wouldn't be surprising if he sees extended minutes again.
Andreas Obst, FC Bayern Munich (6.9 credits)
You know what you're getting with Obst — if he hits a few of the 6–7 three-point attempts he'll take, he could drop 15+ PIR. If not, he's a near-zero. High-risk, high-reward. An alternative is Isaiah Canaan, who has a similar profile. After all, Obst may go crazy and have 15 3FG attempts too, good luck!
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid (6.9 credits)
Llull is averaging around 20 minutes, 8.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 7.3 PIR over the last 3 games. Real faces high-paced Paris, which could benefit his scoring and assist upside.
Yakuba Ouattara, Paris Basketball (4.0 credits)
He's still a risky pick at this rate, but there's little downside at this price. His PIR has ranged from -6 to +11 this season. He might get 10–20 minutes, so you'll need some luck — but it's possible.
Forward
Vladimir Lucic, FC Bayern Munich (9.4 credits)
Lucic is third in minutes played among all players under 10.0 credits (25 MPG). He's been shooting poorly, but he contributes across the board: rebounds, assists, steals, fouls drawn. A solid all-around player.
Dejan Davidovac, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (5.1 credits)
A reasonable pick at this price. He likely won't shoot more than a few times, but he chips in with few rebounds and occasional assists. With Joel Bolomboy still out, Davidovac may continue to play a bigger role — but watch out: Mike Daum and Luka Mitrovic returned last game, which could cut into Davidovac's minutes.
Niels Giffey, FC Bayern Munich (4.9 credits)
Quietly consistent, Giffey has been getting steady minutes for 15+ rounds now. He can hit threes, rebound, and pass, which gives him multiple paths to generate PIR. Decent value under 5 credits.
Center
Mikael Jantunen, Paris Basketball (9.3 credits)
Jantunen has logged 10+ PIR in each of his last six EuroLeague games. He's playing more recently, but red flags include his low 6 FGA per game and unsustainable shooting splits: 78/82/83% over his last 3 games. A risky pick with minutes upside.
Danko Brankovic, FC Bayern Munich (5.2 credits)
Brankovic is a high-risk option. If he plays 10–to-15 minutes he's usually efficient, and he posted a PIR of at least 7 in seven of his last 10 games. But with Devin Booker back, his minutes could vanish. A true boom-or-bust play.
Head Coach
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid (8.1 credits)
It's tough to pick coaches this Round, but Mateo gets the nod mainly due to home-court advantage. Real Madrid has a deeper, more experienced squad than its counterparts.
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich (5.0 credits)
Bayern also will be playing in its home gym, and Red Star will be down a pair of veterans, which could give Bayern the edge it needs. This isn't a sure thing, but at a good going rate it's a solid gamble.
Drop Candidates
Serge Ibaka, Real Madrid (9.4 credits)
Yes, he flashed in the regular season with finale with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 16 PIR over 19 minutes, but now Bruno Fernando is back. That means Ibaka will be splitting time with Walter Tavares, Fernando and Usman Garuba, likely dropping him to around 10 minutes or so.
Looking for information about Tuesday's Play-In contests? Check out RotoWire's EuroLeague Lineups and EuroLeague Injury Report!
