This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Barcelona's Sertac Sanli remains out for Round 3.
STATS AND INFO.
THE SLATE
Zalgiris Kaunas at Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade
Status Check: Joffrey Lauvergne (ZAL), Aaron White (CZV), Branko Lazic (CZV), Maik Zirbes (CZV)
Best Bets for Success: There will be some notable changes for Zalgiris this week, as their top big man is out of action and they made a change at the head coach position, replacing Martin Schiller with Jure Zdovc. Both items will make an impact on the Lithuanian team's fantasy landscape, and there isn't a true go-to option on the squad heading into Round 3. Almost by default, Janis Strelnieks -- even at $6,700 on DrafKings -- looks like the safest pick, as he is averaging more than twice as many points as any other Zalgiris player who will play Wednesday. The coaching swap could help Emmanuel Mudiay get going, but both he and Strelnieks could have a tough time against a Red Star team that has been stout against opposing guards. The Serbian squad has a number of players off to good starts, and Nikola Kalinic is the most likely to keep that going, with averages of 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals over 33 minutes per game. He could be a little too pricey on DraftKings, though, given the depth of talent on his squad and the fact he was not near five-digit range to begin the season.
DFS Darlings: Red Star will continue rolling with the same Roster for Round 3, so Luka Mitrovic should continue filling a key role, and he offers some of the best value on the board at $6,100. Zalgiris has been taking a lot of damage from opposing guards, and Red Star has a lot of affordable options at those spots. However, due to a fluid roster, it's kind of a toss-up which one -- or ones -- will come through Wednesday. Zalgiris offers a lot of good value on DraftKings in Round 3, as only two players check in above $6,800. Josh Nebo looks like the best option of the bunch, as he put up a well-rounded line in Round 2 and should play an expanded role with Lauvergne out.
Status Check: Anthony Randolph (RMB), Trey Thompkins (RMB)
Best Bets for Success: It would have been fair to wonder if Edy Tavares would continue scoring like he did last season, but Madrid's big man is indeed doing so, easily reaching double digits in both Rounds 1 and 2. The steady production in the points column has raised Tavares' fantasy floor even higher than it was, and he certainly brings plenty of upside as well, as he heads into Wednesday's game leading the league in both rebounds and blocks per game. At just $10,400 on DraftKings, he's going to be pretty tough to pass up. Mike James came off the bench last week for Monaco, but that did prevent him from having his usual big night in the box score. He's going to be a bit risky on DraftKings as the priciest play on the board, but he should enjoy seeing Real Madrid on Wednesday, having averaged 25.0 points in his two matchups with the Spanish squad last season.
DFS Darlings: Given the start Donta Hall is off to, you could make the case to include Monaco's high-flying big man in the section above. The French team has a couple experienced bigs who haven't done much yet, though, so he's not a slam dunk just yet. Hall is plenty appealing on DraftKings, though, at just $7,200. The two players offering the most value on Wednesday's slate on the same website are Monaco's Paris Lee and Real Madrid's Thomas Heurtel, and one or both can fit into just about any lineup at a meager $6,300 a piece. The over/under on this game is a whopping 16 points higher than the game above and 10.5 points higher than the game below, so don't be afraid to load up on players on this contest.
Olympiacos Piraeus at 
FC Barcelona
Status Check: Alex Abrines (BAR), Sertac Sanli (BAR)
Best Bets for Success: The final game on the slate will be an intriguing one featuring two teams off to 2-0 starts. Barcelona's stars have not played heavy minutes yet thanks to a couple of lopsided results, but they could spend more time on the court Wednesday in what figures to be a competitive matchup. That would be good news for Nikola Mirotic, who is leading the league in average index rating despite averaging just 21 minutes and 7.5 shots per game. With more opportunities it could be a really big night in the box score for the big man. The power forward for the opponent has been pretty impressive in his own right, as Sasha Vezenkov continues establishing himself as one of the top players in the EuroLeague. He could have a little extra pep in his step Wednesday, facing the team he spent three seasons with in the middle of the last decade.
DFS Darlings: The Spanish squad has a bunch of productive guards, but they will have their work cut out for them in Round 3 against an Olympiacos team that put the clamps on opposing guards in Rounds 1 and 2. As such, it could be good to look at Barcelona's frontcourt, particularly if Sanli remains out. Brandon Davies and Nigel Hayes-Davis aren't particularly cheap on DraftKings, but they aren't too pricey either. Olympiacos' production has been pretty spread out, and with the team at full strength, they don't have anyone who particularly stands out in this section for Round 3.
