EuroLeague Primer: Playoffs - Game 5

EuroLeague Primer: Playoffs - Game 5

This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.

PREGAME UPDATES

STATS AND INFO.

THE SLATE

Real Madrid at Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Status Check: Edy Tavares (MAD), Trey Thompkins (MAD), Anthony Randolph (MAD)

Best Bets for Success: Tavares and Thompkins traveled to Turkey with their teammates, and although it has not been confirmed that they will play Tuesday, it seems likely both will try to give it a go. While getting Tavares back would be a major boost for both Madrid's defense and its morale, he may not be able to give them the minutes he usually does, so he will come with plenty of risk in fantasy contests. Even if both players take the court, expect to see plenty of Usman Garuba. He has looked better and better since the playoffs began, and he had the best game of his career in Game 4. Madrid's roster is a little light on safe fantasy options at the moment, but Alberto Abalde has found his niche, starting and making a notable mark in the box score in each of the last two games. Efes continues to get big numbers from its guards, but the latest stellar effort from the backcourt wasn't enough to avoid a fifth game of the series. Despite a quiet Game 3, Shane Larkin has been one of the best players in the postseason, averaging 15.8 points and 5.0 assists so far. In Game 4, Larkin recorded a 31.0 index rating -- the best among all players. Vasilije Micic has been up-an-down, but his ups have been far more noteworthy, and with the ball in his hands regularly he will have all kinds of opportunities to make an impact Tuesday. He could be a major bargain at $9,400. Last but certainly not least, Rodrigue Beaubois' shooting form has been excellent all postseason, and through the first four games the Frenchman averaged 17.7 points and made a sizzling 57 percent of his three-point shots. 

DFS Darlings: Jaycee Carroll tied a season high with 20 points in Game 4 and went 4-of-7 from downtown. His shooting could prove key again Tuesday with Madrid needing to maintain pace with the high-powered Efes offense. Bryant Dunston has come on for the Turkish team, and he recorded his longest outing of the postseason with 34 minutes in Game 4. Dunston has averaged 8.5 points, 5.3 boards and 0.8 blocks per game in this series and appears to be Efes' top big man at the moment.

FC Bayern Munich at AX Armani Exchange Milan

Status Check: Nick Weiler-Babb (MUN), Nihad Djedovic (MUN)

Best Bets for Success: Vladimir Lucic's performances in Games 3 and 4 helped Bayern equal the series with two wins on its home court. The Serbian forward is averaging 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game this postseason and has been his club's steadiest player. He is also drawing all kinds of contact, being fouled 6.3 times per game and 10 times alone in Game 3. Wade Baldwin has had his ups and downs, but his averages of 15.5 points and 4.5 assists can't be overlooked here. A big day from beyond the arc would go a long way for Bayern, as their star guard is making only 16.7 percent of his threes, down from the 30.6 percent he converted during the regular season. If Baldwin can hit some shots and avoid foul trouble, Bayern could be the first German team ever to reach the EuroLeague Final Four. Malcolm Delaney scored a season-best 28 points in as many minutes on the court in the last game. He is now averaging 16.3 points per game in the postseason, the best mark on his team. This is a big improvement from the regular season, when Delaney averaged 10.8 points per outing. Zach LeDay is getting the most work on the Italian team's roster at the moment, averaging 29.3 minutes per game. Since the playoffs began, he has averaged 10.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists while on the court.

DFS Darlings: Paul Zipser was one of the Bayern heroes in the game that equalled the series. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds and two assists in his account and spent 22 minutes on the court. JaJuan Johnson's form has picked up at the right time, with him averaging 7.8 points and 5.3 boards after putting up just 3.6 and 2.5, respectively, in the regular season. He is also spending more than six more minutes per game on the court. Despite being one of Milan's best players Kevin Punter is now down to a reasonable $7,800 on DraftKings. His scoring upside alone gives him a chance to return 3x value at that rate.

Zenit Saint Petersburg at FC Barcelona

Status Check: Mateusz Ponitka (DYR), Arturas Gudaitis (DYR), Leo Westermann (BAR), Victor Claver (BAR)

Best Bets for Success: Kevin Pangos' scintillating performances have carried Zenit to a win-or-go-home game against the league's top seed. The guard averages is third in the league in scoring since the playoffs began, and he is leading all players with an average of 6.5 assists per contest. Pangos, a former Barcelona player, has been heavily involved in all four games of the series, playing at least 30 minutes in every outing. Expect him to continue getting all kinds of opportunities to produce as Zenit goes for the upset. Brandon Davies has been Barca's top scorer in knockout stage, averaging 15.8 ppg. That mark would be even better, but he was shut down in Game 4, putting just one point in his account. In the previous three outings, Davies averaged 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. With potential league MVP Nikola Mirotic struggling, a big game from Davies will go a long way in Game 5. Of course, Mirotic is plenty capable of providing one of those himself, and he's one of the best values on the slate at just $10,200.

DFS Darlings: Since Gudaitis injured his ankle in Game 1, Alex Poythress has gotten more chances to impress. Poythress has worked off the bench in every game, but in the last two he both scored in double figures and grabbed five boards. Nick Calathes is usually leading his team in assists, but in the last outing he recorded a season-best 19 points, all in open play. Calathes produced 30.3 DFS points in Game 4, his best since January. His assists number have decreased in the postseason -- in no small part because of Zenit's defense -- and a big day in that department from Calathes in Game 5 would be key for Barcelona. Kyle Kuric has averaged 10.5 ppg in the postseason with spectacular shooting, shooting 63.6 percent from the field, 71.4 percent from three and draining all seven of his free throw attempts. 

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Maciej Bogdanski plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: kmag115173.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only EuroLeague Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire EuroLeague fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maciej Bogdanski
Maciej is a former RotoWire contributor.
EuroLeague Primer: Round 18 - Thursday
EuroLeague Primer: Round 18 - Thursday
EuroLeague Picks: Best Bets for Round 18 - Thursday
EuroLeague Picks: Best Bets for Round 18 - Thursday
EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks: Round 18
EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks: Round 18
EuroLeague Primer: Round 17 - Friday
EuroLeague Primer: Round 17 - Friday
EuroLeague Picks: Best Bets for Round 17 - Friday
EuroLeague Picks: Best Bets for Round 17 - Friday
EuroLeague Primer: Round 17 - Thursday
EuroLeague Primer: Round 17 - Thursday