This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
This slate is about the exact opposite of Tuesday's. There are few trusted players to spend up on, and among the four totals for Wednesday's game only one is over 160. That indicates it could be a low-scoring day on DraftKings, and as such, I'm more inclined to take shots on a couple high-ceiling guys with low floors because I know I can most likely cash with one a dud in my lineup. There isn't much for injury news to monitor, and the main thing I will be looking at will be who joins Red Star's starting lineup in place of Yago Dos Santos. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($11,200)
With so many good guards going Tuesday we naturally are going to have a lack of them Wednesday, and I think we may just have to go with James even in a tough matchup against Milan. If the slate is indeed low-scoring, 30.0 DraftKings points should be fine.
Chris Jones, Valencia Basket ($8,800)
A blowout cost him minutes in Round 29, but now he gets a matchup against a Bayern team that has been friendly to opposing point guards. Plus, we get him around his lowest price point of the season, which is something I always like to target.
Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($10,200)
If you told me that Nunn would shoot 4-of-5 from three in Round 29 I would have predicted he went over 30.0 DraftKings points, but that was not the case, as the peripherals were lacking. He gets an above-average matchup Wednesday, and with the lack of top-tier guards on this slate I think he's back in play.
Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($8,500)
Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($8,400)
Speaking of Panathinaikos guards, we have great prices on Nunn's backcourt mates. Sloukas is your highe- ceiling scorer and facilitator whose minutes vary. Grant is your do-it-all guy who is locked into a lot of minutes due to his defensive prowess.
Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona ($8,600)
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona ($8,000)
More Ricky Rubio minutes has meant less of those for these guys, but on a low-scoring slate like I think this will be, an efficient night from either of Barcelona's starting guards could be enough to land them in the optimal lineup.
Valuable Values
Nemanja Nedovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,700)
Javonte Smart, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,300)
Milos Teodosic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,800)
With Dos Santos out, Red Star has a massive void at the point guard spot. He has really carried them lately. The return of Teodosic is huge, but due to his age and month-long absence I'm wondering how much he can give. Smart played 33 minutes in Round 29, and with Nedovic working back from injury, the former is probably safest minutes-wise. All three are in play for GPPS.
Ricky Rubio, FC Barcelona ($5,700)
The minutes keep going up and up, and I just don't think the price is moving up fast enough to match the increase.
Kevin Pangos, Valencia Basket ($4,600)
You're getting a starter who has been playing anywhere from 15-to-21 minutes who is less than $5,000. His usage when on the court is promising.
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco ($5,100)
This is another cheap guard, and one who has been starting in the absence of Jordan Loyd. It looks like Strazel's backcourt mate will suit up Wednesday, but if Loyd misses again I have no issue going back to Strazel, who has impressed lately.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($10,400)
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($10,800)
I'm listing them together because both are players who really haven't been great to us when they're priced up and in good spots, so let's break it down together. Lessort has an elite interior matchup, as Red Star can get beaten inside by centers with Joel Bolomboy's tendency to play help defense. Shields will get there at this price EVERY TIME he has his normal shot volume. Sometimes he takes a back seat, though, and it's tough to predict when that will happen.
Serge Ibaka, FC Bayern Munich ($9,900)
The minutes are infuriating, but sometimes you have to put a scenario in your head where a certain guy sees a certain amount of minutes and project what he will do. If Ibaka gets 25 minutes against a Valencia team that will have a tough time matching up with him, I think he sleepwalks his way to 30.0 DraftKings points.
Nikola Mirotic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($9,500)
Mirotic, who finished just shy of 40.0 DrafKings points his last time out, has a tough matchup against Monaco, who handle power forwards well. Due to his ability to hit threes, though, he's sometimes matchup-proof, and that keeps him in play for GPPs.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($9,400)
There's really not much for in-between for Hayes-Davis. He either returns 3x value or he leaves a void in your lineups. The matchup is not great -- mostly due to the slow style Barcelona plays at -- but he's such a great peripheral guy that sometimes he just gets there.
Valuable Values
Alpha Diallo, AS Monaco ($8,200)
Here's where my experience with EuroLeague contests comes into play. I am not saying it's a lock to happen Wednesday by any means, but Diallo tends to shine out of nowhere. He missed Round 29, played poorly before that and now has a tough matchup against Milan. However, this is where Diallo randomly pops for 3x his price -- not as hard when he's listed at this rate -- and navigates his way into the winning lineups. If this isn't the day, I'll keep taking my shots until it happens and his price is bumped back up into the upper $8,000s.
Semi Ojeleye, Valencia Basket ($8,300)
Ojeleye does not play the same position as Brandon Davies, but with the latter out Valencia will need a game changer in the frontcourt, and I think they will turn to Ojeleye -- who's always liable to get scratching hot -- and give him upwards of 25 minutes.
Devin Booker, FC Bayern Munich ($7,800)
Has been playing at a high level lately, the minutes are solid and he's still below $8,000. I have no issue taking a heat check on the versatile big man, who benefits from how much attention Ibaka draws.
Jabari Parker, FC Barcelona ($8,100)
As you can see I'm really on board with taking some shots in this price range. I understand the floors are scary, but that's the case with just about every EuroLeague player. Giving chances to guys like Diallo, Parker, Ojeleye -- and even Willy Hernangomez -- and hoping for a high-ceiling game is how you can take down the main contest.
Donta Hall, AS Monaco ($6,200)
The minutes rug could be pulled at any time, but all year I've asked for Monaco to give Hall more than 15 minutes a night. He played 22, 13 and 18 over the last three Rounds, and if you think he gets around as many Wednesday, I think he's an awesome last piece. He's one of the most athletic game-changing big men in the league and it's sad we don't see more minutes from him.
Willy Hernangomez, FC Barcelona ($7,700)
This is a great slate to take a shot on Hernangomez and hope he sees a playing time bump with Jan Vesely being pushed minutes-wise lately.
