This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Shane Larkin is on track to play for Efes in Round 9, but Rodrigue Beaubois will not suit up and is expected to miss around four weeks.
- Khimki's Devin Booker, Jonas Jerebko and Stefan Jovic will not play Tuesday.
- Nemanja Nedovic will suit up for Panathinaikos on Tuesday.
THE SLATE
Khimki Moscow Region at 
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Key Injuries: Devin Booker (KHI), Stefan Jovic (KHI), Sergei Monia (KHI)
Best Bets for Success: Khimki's Alexey Shved has appeared in three games this season, and he finished one assist shy of his third double-double in as many games his last time out. Shved is not particularly efficient, but given the numbers he stacks up that can be overlooked in most contests. He's the most likely Khimki player to throw up a big number Tuesday, but fantasy players should be aware that Zenit has been quite stingy against opposing guards. No one on Zenit's roster has been particularly consistent this season, but Alex Poythress and Will Thomas could be primed for big days in Round 9, as Khimki has had serious trouble containing opposing forwards.
DFS Darlings: Given Khimki's issues with opposing frontcourt players, Arturas Gudaitis and Mateusz Ponitka will have some appeal on DraftKings below $7,000 . It's unlikely all four Zenit bigs will produce Tuesday, but if you avoid their more expensive players the cheaper ones can be utilized for savings. Shved dominates the guard stats for Khimki, and if Booker plays as expected there will be an assumed cap on all of their big men. As such, it may be best to avoid just about any Khimki player in Round 9.
FC Bayern Munich at 
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Key Injuries: Shane Larkin (IST), Bryant Dunston (IST), Rodrigue Beaubois (IST)
Best Bets for Success: This game features many of the league's most productive players, but nearly all of them will have a tricky matchup in Round 9. Bayern's Vladimir Lucic will have his work cut out for him, but per the the EuroLeague's Performance Index Rating he has been the second-most efficient player through eight Rounds, so odds are he will have another quality outing in Round 9. Vasilije Micic put up a career-high 33 points his last time out, and although he has not been consistent this season, Efes figures to lean on him once again with a couple of his fellow guards uncertain.
DFS Darlings: JaJuan Johnson had a breakout game for Bayern in Round 8, and it could be worth rolling the dice on him backing that up Tuesday. It remains to be seen which Efes guards will suit up Tuesday, but if neither Larkin nor Beaubois suits up, Dogus Balbay would have some appeal way down the board, as head coach Ergin Ataman praised his defense following Efes' last game. If Larkin plays, look his way on FanDuel, where he costs a dirt-cheap $5.
CSKA Moscow at 
Zalgiris Kaunas
Key Injuries: Johannes Voigtmann (CSK), Janis Strelnieks (CSK), Marius Grigonis (ZAL), Joffrey Lauvergne (ZAL), Patricio Garino (ZAL)
Best Bets for Success: Will Clyburn reached double figures for the seventh straight Round his last time out, and with Mike James' role uncertain Clyburn should make it eight in a row. Teammate Daniel Hackett has been just about as steady of late, and he has an enticing matchup in Round 9. Zalgiris' Marius Grigonis may not be 100 percent, but he has been his club's leading or second-leading scorer in all but one game this season, and he should have a nice day against a CSKA team that has had trouble containing opposing guards.
DFS Darlings: James is a total wild card Tuesday, as it remains to be seen if his role will change after he was disciplined last week. However, the uncertainty could drive down his ownership. If you want to gamble, James has as much upside as anyone -- particularly with a chip on his shoulder -- and CSKA will likely need him in a tough road game. Nikola Milutinov is still too cheap on both FanDuel and DraftKings, and with Voigtmann out he should spend plenty time on the court.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at 
TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Key Injuries: Nando de Colo (ULK)
Best Bets for Success: A late surge helped Baskonia's Pierria Henry post another big number in Round 8, and conditions are ripe for another one against a Fenerbahce that was totally lost last week without de Colo. The Turkish team really struggled to slow Barcelona's power forwards last week, so this is a good spot for both Rokas Giedraitis and Achille Polonara to get back on track. As for the Turkish side, with de Colo still sidelined, Lorenzo Brown will have the ball in his hands most often, and he does have a nice matchup Tuesday, as Baskonia has been done in by a number of opposing guards.
DFS Darlings: Leo Westermann stepped into the starting spot vacated by de Colo, and if he can repeat last week's showing he will come close to returning 5x value on both FanDuel and DraftKings. Jarell Eddie is another Fenerbahce player to consider, as he has averaged over 20 fantasy points in games in which he has played at least 20 minutes.
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens at 
Valencia Basket
Key Injuries: Nemanja Nedovic (PAN), Zach Auguste (PAN), Sam Van Rossom (PAM), Vanja Marinkovic (PAM), Joan Sastre (PAM)
Best Bets for Success: Ioannis Papapetrou has slowed some since a hot start, but with averages of 33 minutes and 13 field-goal attempts, he has a nice safe floor. He also has a prime matchup Tuesday, facing a Valencia team that is among the worst against opposing forwards in just about every category. Bojan Dubljevic is the most likely Valencia player to produce a big number, but he has not come close to producing at the lofty five-digit price he will cost you in Tuesday's contests on DraftKings. His teammate, Nikola Kalinic, has been a steady producer scoring at least 10 points and putting up at least 19.75 DraftKings points in six straight games.
DFS Darlings: Shelvin Mack led the Greek team in scoring in his Round 8 debut, so he has an argument to be one of the safer plays in this game. It remains to be seen how he will fit in when the Greens are at full strength, but he's at least among the most appealing options on Tuesday's slate, and will run just $5,900 on DraftKings. Klemen Prepelic and Georgios Papagiannis are both coming close to escaping "value play" range, but if Van Rossom and Auguste remain sidelined, both should play an expanded role for the second Round in a row.
