This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.
The Play-In Showdown adds a new twist to the EuroLeague Playoffs, and also the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge. For the remainder of this season we will have unlimited trades, so we can mix and match as need be in each Round to come.
If you have any questions or comments about strategy or the picks below, feel free to drop those at the bottom of this article or reach out via @RotoWireEuro.
Now, let's analyze our first list of postseason players!
Guard
Wade Baldwin IV, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (18.5 credits)
Baldwin is mean, nasty, competitive and vindictive -- things Kobe Bryant once said about Shaquille O'Neal. Baldwin was one of the best players in the league at the end of the regular season. During the last five games, Baldwin averaged 20.4 PTS, 14.8 FG attempts and 22.8 PIR. Is that enough arguments? Well, how about 6.4 fouls drawn and 7.0 FT attempts with a 91 percent conversion rate over the same span span of time? How about his 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists over those games? Baldwin arrived in Belgrade late, but don't expect that to faze him against his former club.
Markus Howard, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (11.5 credits)
What a great run on the offensive end Howard has had, both in the EuroLeague and domestic competition. He has attempted at least 20 field goals in four straight appearances across both leagues, logged at least 26 minutes in each game and put up totals 28, 34, 36 and 35 points.
Tamir Blatt, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (7.0 credits)
John DiBartolomeo is a game-time decision, and if he does not play, Blatt might have more value than usual Blatt is recording roughly 20-30 percent better stats when DiBartolomeo is not playing, at 6.6 PIR compared to 9.9 without DiBartolomeo. If the captain does play, that may be a deal-breaker for Blatt's prospects.
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (6.1 credits)
Pajola is seeing more minutes recently, averaging 21 over the last 10 games compared to 17 on the season. This has boosted his PIR from the season average of 5.2 to 8.0 over the last 10 Rounds. A red flag is Efes, which seems to have figured something out against opposing guards. They recently held Codi Miller-McIntyre to only one assists over 27 minutes, Nick Calathes to 4 PIR only in 24 minutes and limited Yago Dos Santos to a -6 PIR over 22 minutes -- all in the last five games. On the other hand, a player at this rate will have red flags more often than not.
Justus Hollatz, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (4.6 credits)
Hollatz averaged 18 minutes, 5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and an 8.0 PIR over the last three Rounds of the regular season. At this type of price he might be worth the risk.
Forward
Chima Moneke, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (15.9 credits)
Moneke has had six straight games with double-digit PIR across all competitions, and in the last game against Maccabi he recorded 21 PIR. Over the last five EuroLeague games he averaged, 11.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.4 fouls drawn and a 15.4 PIR, which is not ideal for a player at this rate. However, Maccabi tends to allow plenty of PIR for its opponents, which could work in Moneke's favor.
Tornike Shengelia, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (14.6 credits)
Shengelia has all the items we need from a great fantasy player. He scores, rebounds, passes the ball and draws fouls. However, he had an unimpressive showing in the last domestic game (19 mins, 8 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast), averaged only 3.0 rebounds over the last three Rounds and will face an Efes team that ceded an average of only 72.2 PIR over it last five games. I probably will pick Shengelia but have a salty taste.
Will Clyburn, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (14.4 credits)
Clyburn got some rest over the weekend, as he was held out of his club's domestic contest. Also, he played only 20 minutes in the last EuroLeague game against Red Star. Hopefully, this is for the good in a do-or-die game against Virtus. Clyburn's stats have spiked of late, with averages of 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 triples in the six games leading up to Round 34. He is a decent pick for the Play-In Showdown.
Ercan Osmani, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (5.7 credits)
Osmani has really carved out a key role, and over the last three Rounds he averaged 22 minutes, 8.0 field goal attempts, 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 triples. He is a great option at a meager price.
Center
Josh Nebo, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (15.7 credits)
Nebo is probably the best center available in this Round. In fact, he might be the best in the league as it is, averaging 20+ PIR over the last 10 games and ending the regular season as the league leader in rebounds. His next opponent is Baskonia, who are not great at stopping centers.
Matt Costello, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (9.8 credits)
Costello started to be utilized more towards the last third of the regular season. He increased slightly in minutes, FGA, shooting percentage, rebounds and PIR. In theory, he might have a great matchup, as Maccabi cedes a lot of PIR to opposing centers, especially over the last month. As for notes against him, Costello is a poor free-throw shooter and his FGA are pretty inconsistent. As such, we can't be confident in his volume Tuesday.
Head Coach
Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (7.0 credits)
One of the hottest teams in the league will play against a struggling Virtus Bologna club. On top of that, it will be a home game for Efes.
Drop Candidates
Daniel Hackett, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (9.3 credits)
Hackett -- although getting his usual 25 minutes in Round 34 -- has played less lately, attempted fewer shots and has visited the free-throw line a little less frequently. Plus he shot only 30.8 percent from the field over the last three Rounds, and Efes has really stepped up its game on the defensive end. There are just too many red flags.
Darius Thompson, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (9.6 credits)
Thompson's fantasy price dropped from 10.3 to 9.6 credits over the last three Rounds, and he averaged only 15 minutes per night over that span. Over the last five Rounds, not once did he reach double digits in the PIR department. He is contributing less, and Efes is winning more. For some reason, that is the case this season. It just hasn't clicked for Thompson.
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