This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
This is another tough three-game slate, but I think you can still take down a tournament with a dud in your lineup as long as you hit the top two scorers. The injury news to monitor starts with Paris Lee, who I need to see start to believe he is 100 percent. Real Madrid will be down three rotation pieces, so their starters could see minutes in the high 20s, and those players make for quality targets. Only 149 of the 235 spots were taken in the main contest Thursday, and EuroLeague contests remain the only constant free-rake game on DraftKings. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($10,700)
Larkin has been getting max minutes since Tomislav Mijatovic took over as head coach, and at this price point in a great matchup, he is someone we really have to consider on a slate with limited top-tier guards.
Keenan Evans, Zalgiris Kaunas ($11,000)
The total for Friday's Zalgiris vs. Bayern matchup is the lowest on the slate and Evans is priced to the max, but the opponent has allowed opposing guards to pop at certain times this season, and I find it hard to not go with either Larkin or Evans.
Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid ($9,500)
Campazzo isn't often mentioned in this column, and that's because his minutes and DraftKings price rarely make him worth a spot in your lineups. I think he could be in play Friday, though, with Real Madrid down all of Sergio Rodriguez, Rudy Fernandez and Fabien Causeur. Plus, Campazzo's most productive game of the season came against Virtus back in Round 6.
Paris Lee, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($9,400)
Nando de Colo, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($9,600)
If Lee plays and starts I like him in GPPs and think he can do enough in 25-to-27 minutes to pay off his price tag. If Lee is out, de Colo is a high-risk/high-upside play off the bench.
Valuable Values
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($8,000)
Bryant can't seem to stop fouling, but even with fouls early last week he hit 3x at this price tag. I think there's upside here despite the low floor.
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid ($5,700)
He started and played big minutes in Round 28, and with Rodriguez joining the inactive list I think we see the same thing again. Llull can get really cold shooting the ball at times, which hurts his floor, but I think the minutes and price point make him a very solid play.
Carsen Edwards, FC Bayern Munich ($7,400)
Leandro Bolmaro, FC Bayern Munich ($7,300)
These two are very frustrating -- and even more so when the whole team is healthy -- but they're priced appropriately and should garner consideration on a three-game slate. I suspect they will be capped around 17-to-24 minutes, but all we need from them is around 20.0 DraftKings points.
Justus Hollatz, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($4,400)
Dovydas Giedraitis, Zalgiris Kaunas ($4,600)
The two punt options in the backcourt start once in a while, and if they do so Friday I think they're worth including in order to get in a couple studs. Hollatz would benefit from Efes blowing out ASVEL and Giedraitis could snag a couple steals with how often Bayern turns the ball over.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Serge Ibaka, FC Bayern Munich ($10,000)
I think we need to temper our expectations for the top forwards within the context of this slate. To expand on that, I don't think we really need to bank on 3x value from them. One could get around 27.0-to-29.0 DraftKings points and wind up in the winning lineup. Ibaka fared well last time he faced Zalgiris, and although they are tough inside I think he's simply the superior talent.
Will Clyburn, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($10,200)
He's truly a roller coaster to roster, but if he's on his game he's a guy who could decimate this slate with how poor ASVEL is defensively.
Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($9,800)
He always goes off when you least expect it, as he did last week against a stout Olympiacos frontcourt. The matchup is once again tough, but if I'm taking a Virtus player I'd much rather conserve the dollars elsewhere and go with Shengelia.
Dzanan Musa, Real Madrid ($8,600)
Mario Hezonja, Real Madrid ($9,100)
The prices and recent performance don't stand out, but with Real Madrid shorthanded one of these guys could get 30 minutes, put up 30.0 DraftKings points and turn the slate upside down.
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid ($9,000)
The matchup is tough, but if Tavares avoids fouls I think he could match last week's performance, and that will be plenty.
Valuable Values
Joffrey Lauvergne, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($8,400)
Youssoupha Fall, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne ($7,500)
Efes is among the top five worst teams when it comes to defending centers over the last 10 games, and these are the two guys that could benefit from such a matchup.
Tibor Pleiss, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($7,000)
Daniel Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($5,400)
Tyrique Jones, Anadolu Efes Istanbul ($6,800)
I really wish I could provide more clarity on this situation, but I don't think even the coaching staff knows, so I'll break it down as best I can. Pleiss should start, and generally it's Oturu that spells him as the next man up. Last week, though, Jones got extended run in a lopsided game. I think with the pricing and short slate it's not a bad idea to take a shot on Pleiss if he starts and Oturu off bench since he's so much cheaper than Jones, who tends to wind up in foul trouble.
Devin Booker, FC Bayern Munich ($7,100)
Has been playing awesome recently. I don't think he has a massive performance but with the minutes he's been seeing he can hit 3x.
Ante Zizic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna ($4,200)
This is a true dart with risky upside. My thinking here is he has the height to match up with Tavares and maybe Bryant Dunston gets in some foul trouble.
Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid ($6,700)
If this man ever starts or even plays more than 20 minutes again he's going to break a slate. I don't know, though, maybe it's just not going to happen again.
