This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
Game 2s get underway Thursday with some significant injury news and some very soft pricing as a result. The big news concerns Wade Baldwin IV -- the third leading scorer in the league -- being out for Maccabi, leaving a giant hole in their backcourt which we will discuss below. Baskonia continues to be without the services of Chima Moneke, so we can expect a similar rotation in their frontcourt. And lastly, it looks like Juancho Hernangomez will not go for Panathinaikos. Good luck!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($9,400)
Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($10,100)
I liked having one or the other in Game 1, and now Maccabi is down its best backcourt defender in Baldwin, so I'll once again be including in one of these two in my lineups. It's worth noting Nunn got into foul trouble after a quick start in Game 1, which really affected him and boosted Sloukas. That doesn't mean Sloukas won't outscore him again -- they brought in the veteran to lead this team to a championship as the main facilitator. Nunn's job is to simply get buckets.
Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($9,200)
Brown is really mispriced, as he is cheaper than he was before despite Baldwin's' absence. Brown's usage could be around 40 percent and he should get maximum minutes, so he is a really tough fade. I would suggest differentiating a bit if you are entering the maximum number of lineups, as Panathinaikos will put all its defensive efforts into stopping Brown.
Markus Howard, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($9,700)
Codi Miller-McIntyre, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($10,200)
They are both GPP pivots off some of these chalkier guards. They definitely have the ceiling to separate you, though, and if Baskonia is to make one of these games close it will be on the back of 40.0 DraftKings points from one of these two.
Valuable Values
Tamir Blatt, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($6,600)
Antonius Cleveland, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($6,200)
These two will benefit most minutes-wise from Baldwin's absence, and I think it would be prudent to have one or the other -- or even John DiBartolomeo if you want to get really wild. I'm not sure who replaces Baldwin in the starting lineup, but I don't really mind which one it is. I think both are great plays and looked very solid in the fourth quarter of the last game.
Sergio Rodriguez, Real Madrid ($5,300)
I mentioned before Game 1 how he just seems to always elevate in the Playoffs, and lo and behold he returned 3.5x value. I still like the price as a flier.
Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($7,300)
Marius Grigonis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($6,800)
The cheap Panathinaikos guards offer two different skill sets. Grant is the gritty defender who can get steals and rack up peripherals. Grigonis is the microwave scorer who can put 20 points on the scoreboard. Both should see 25-30 minutes and be low-owned plays .
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mario Hezonja, Real Madrid ($9,300)
His services weren't needed much in a Game 1 blowout, but this is an intriguing bounceback spot if you think Baskonia can keep this game interesting. This is a very soft matchup for Hezonja, and one in which he could glide to 3x in the first half if he gets hot.
Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($9,600)
Lessort is just too much for Maccabi. Josh Nebo can jump out the gym but isn't defensively disciplined to keep him off the offensive glass or avoid fouls in the post.
Bonzie Colson, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($8,800)
Colson will have added responsibilities Thursday, as he is going to be asked to be the second option on the offensive end. He has let us down in these scenarios at times, and he's probably the biggest wild card on the slate.
Valuable Values
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid ($8,200)
Tavares is just criminally mispriced again. Even in a blowout and even with limited minutes he can stuff Baskonia's frontcourt in a locker. Early fouls are the only thing that can really get him in trouble here, and if you play that angle I'd have some Vincent Poirier exposure .
Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($7,700)
He will again be asked to play maximum minutes and hit the glass hard in Moneke's absence. He's going to have to provide at least a little bit of scoring if Baskonia is going to keep this game close.
Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($5,500)
We mentioned previously he's not afraid to shoot, and he showed us that again, firing up a ton of threes in Game 1. I still like the price point and have no issue riding the wave.
Jasiel Rivero, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($5,900)
Rivero got into early foul trouble in Game 1 but was making an impact on the game. He might be looked at for some offense without Baldwin. He's great at creating his own shot in the post, which is something Nebo is not proficient at.
Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid ($6,400)
He got 21 minutes in Game 1, which is what we love to see. He just couldn't get much to drop shot-wise. Deck is a fine last piece in your lineups due to a lack of options in this price range. I have no issue plugging him in instead of going further down the board and leaving salary on table.
Kostas Antetokounmpo, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($4,400)
If Hernangomez is sidelined, Antetokounmpo could get at least 15 minutes, provided he avoids fouls. He has given Maccabi fits this year in their matchups.
