After 11 days without EuroLeague games, both the circuit -- and the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge -- are ready to resume!
During this period some EuroLeague teams lifted trophies in their national Cup competitions, and winning a championship is certainly a morale boost. Of course not every team in the domestic leagues plays in the EuroLeague, but teams gave it their all in pursuit of a title, and performances from last week will likely be reflected in Round 29.
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 with the restart of your EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge journey!
Guard
Wade Baldwin IV, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (15.4 credits)
Even if he is not always the highest PIR producer on the Fenerbahce side, when games go into crisis mode it is usually Baldwin who steps up. Fenerbahce's last three EuroLeague games resulted in away wins, and Baldwin recorded at least 20 PIR in all three. It is time for him to be a bit more aggressive offensively, and in Round 29 he and his club will be back at home against Partizan. This could be the easiest game left on the calendar for Fenerbahce, and it will be an opportunity for Baldwin to stand out in the box score again.
Trent Forrest, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (11.2 credits)
After getting off to a hot start and looking like the perfect fit for Baskonia's floor-general role, Forrest got injured and missed 10 Rounds. He has been a bit up-and-down since returning, but his 22-PIR performance in Round 28 on the road against Monaco may have been a turning point. In fact, in Baskonia's Copa-del-Rey-clinching victory over Real Madrid, Forrest nearly notched a triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists. Baskonia will face another Spanish team in Round 29 -- Valencia -- and he figures to give it his all to try and one-up a sizzling Jean Montero.
Elijah Bryant, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (17.1 credits)
Bryant returned from a four-Round absence in Round 28 and, although he could not stave off a road loss against Zalgiris, he picked up right where he left off with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Hapoel is at a crucial point following five straight EuroLeague losses, and in Round 29 they will face Milan at home. Expect Bryant to once again be given the reins as his club attempts to get back on track.
Jean Montero, Valencia Basket (14.0 credits)
Valencia's loss in the Copa del Rey semifinals in which they got next to nothing from their big men had to particularly hurt for Montero, who tossed up 26 points, four rebounds and two assists. Although he did not see Baskonia during the Spanish tournament, Montero should enjoy facing them Thursday, as they have had a tough time defending the perimeter all season.
Forward
Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (9.1 credits)
Biberovic was the hero of the Turkish Cup, not only in the final where he scored 28 points, but also in the semi-final against Turk Telekom, a team that has been competing in the EuroCup for years. At the beginning of the season, based on his statements to the media, he admitted that he was not in the same shape as he had been at the end of last year, and of course many pundits saw this as an excuse. However, as time has shown, entering the most critical stretch of the season with steadily rising form and even surpassing last year's level, Biberovic has made everyone acknowledge his improvement. Right now, aside from Baldwin and Talen Horton-Tucker, he is the best scorer on the team. Against a team like Partizan, whose perimeter defense is far from elite, Biberovic's catch-and-shoot threes will be one of Fenerbahce's main weapons.
Jordan Nwora, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (13.6 credits)
With Sasha Vezenkov sidelined due to injury, Nwora just might be the top option at the forward spot for Round 29. His steadily rising performances have brought him back to his early-season "best small forward in the EuroLeague" level. In three of the last four games he produced 18 PIR, and in the other one he delivered 23 PIR as the main contributor in the win over Hapoel, marking what feels like the "Revenge of the Sith" chapter of his season. Having spent last season with Anadolu Efes, where the memories were not exactly the kind he would want to cherish, he put on a show in Round 19 on the road against Efes via producing 27 PIR and finishing as the best player on the floor for Red Star. Now it is time for the second leg to fully settle the score, and it is clear that Nwora is not the type of player to leave unfinished business behind.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (13.5 credits)
After a turbulent transfer saga, last season's Final Four MVP chose to wear the Panathinaikos jersey. He made a start worthy of his status on the green side, earning the Greek Cup MVP award with an eye-catching performance against Olympiacos. Completing his first challenge as an MVP, Hayes-Davis surely has many more milestones in his handbook that he has set for himself. In Round 29, he will make his first appearance in a Panathinaikos jersey against Paris, and having this premiere in front of his home crowd is another positive factor. Moreover, after being a constant problem for Paris last season both in the regular season and the playoffs while wearing the Fenerbahce jersey, his first game back from the NBA is set to be nothing short of epic.
Center
Moses Wright, Zalgiris Kaunas (14.0 credits)
Hitting an average of 18.20 Fantasy Points over his last 10 games, we can officially say that Wright is officially back. After a midseason stretch in which his performance significantly dropped, a serious increase in his minutes has clearly boosted his overall impact. While he was averaging around 20 minutes in the first half of the season, we have recently seen that number rise to the 26–27 minute range in many games. In Round 29, Zalgiris will face a crucial matchup against Olympiacos, who will be without Vezenkov and Nikola Milutinov due to injuries, and considering the noticeable gap in Olympiacos' center defense over their last three EuroLeague games (allowing 23.1 PIR on average to opposing centers, the worst in that span), Zalgiris are expected to build their main game plan around exploiting this weakness through Wright.
Eugene Omoruyi, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (9.7 credits)
Actually, there are many guaranteed choices for the center position in Round 29 such as Mfioundo Kabengele or Josh Nebo, but for those who are looking for a cheaper option, Omoruyi would be a solid pick considering both Valencia's lack of strong interior defense and his visibly improved form in recent weeks. In the Spanish Cup Final they won against Real, he scored 22 points despite being matched up with Tavares, which was too impressive, but the slight red flag we can mention is his limited rebounding production which is something a must for a center in EuroLeague Fantasy. Still, given that their Round 29 opponent Valencia allow around 14–15 PIR on average to centers, he is a fair alternative as a backup center option.
Head Coach
Jurica Golemac, Dubai Basketball (5.0 credits)
For Dubai who have delivered unpredictable results throughout the season with their up-and-down performances, the EuroLeague break may not have come at the best time, especially considering they had won their last three games which all against top-level opponents; they gave no chance at home to teams like Olympiacos and Real Madrid and then secured a statement road win against a direct playoff rival such as Milan. Dubai is as close to full strength as they have been in a while, and it's unlikely they will stumble at home against last-place ASVEL.
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (8.5 credits)
Despite the postpone away game versus the Olympiacos in the EuroLeague, Fenerbahce sits atop the EuroLeague standings with a two-win cushion over their closest rival. The architect of this success from top to bottom is a single name: Jasikevicius. Riding a seven-game winning streak and considering that the last three of those victories included tough road trips against Barcelona and Panathinaikos, if we are to make a prediction, the upcoming home-court clash against Partizan should be one of the more comfortable matchups for Fenerbahce -- even if Nicolo Melli is now on the sidelines.
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, rosters and everything else, head to RotoWire's latest EuroLeague news or follow @RotoWireEuro on X.
