This article is part of our EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge Picks series.
We have crossed the halfway point of the season, and as play gets underway in 2025, no fewer than 15 teams remain in the race for a spot in the Playoffs. That will lead to some exciting times ahead, both on the court and in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge.
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 on X via @RotoWireEuro.
And here are your players!
Guard
Theo Maledon, LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne (17.5 credits)
Good news keeps coming for the hot prospect guard; in addition to being named December's MVP, there are serious rumors flying around that Maledon has reached a verbal agreement with Real Madrid for next season. Since Round 8, he has not had a single game with under 24 PIR, and during this period ASVEL secured some of crucial victories. He finished the first half of the season with a PIR average slightly ahead of T.J. Shorts despite the narrow margin. Against Milano, he was also Asvel's most significant weapon.
Duane Washington, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (10.7 credits)
It took Washington a while to adapt to the EuroLeague, but he showed his best performance last week against Fenerbahce by producing 27 PIR. In another home game like Fenerbahce, Maccabi struggles to stop players who consistently drive to the basket. In this regard, Washington will undoubtedly be Partizan's key player.
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (11.0 credits)
Although many consider Elijah to be out of form right now, it is important to remember that in the Round 2 game of the season, he produced 19 PIR, though it was not enough for a win. The player who can play both forward and guard positions is expected to be used more as a forward after Larkin's return from injury when facing Fenerbahce. If it were not a derby game, might be suggested better to avoid him, but Bryant who enjoys playing spoiler and has the potential to deliver a surprising performance in this Round.
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco (6.0 credits)
For those who looking for a low-credit player to gain chip credits, Strazel is him. Despite being the 4th or 5th player in the team's hierarchy in Monaco's guard rotation, has been playing around 20 minutes per game in the last 3 games. It seems like he has secured his place in the rotation, likely under Spanoulis' watch. In Round 19, Monaco will play an away game in Berlin, which has the potential to be a blowout. If such a game ongoings, players like Strazel in the rotation could get more minutes as much as he desires.
Forward
Mario Hezonja, Real Madrid (13.5 credits)
Real Madrid continues to climb up the EuroLeague standings silently and in order to achieve this, Super Mario's performance directly impacts the team's success. Considering on the last 10 Euroleague games, can be obviously seen that Real lost all 3 games where Hezonja produced less than 15 PIR. Real is currently in good shape and in additional to this, according to the club's announcement, they will play these games without Gabriel Deck due to his inury. It's time for the Croatian forward to step up significantly.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko (16.0 credits)
Fenerbahce, having won only 1 of its last 6 games, has a chance to make a comeback and re-enter the competition with a 2-game series at home: first a derby game against Efes in Round 19, followed by a game against Alba Berlin. Despite the loss in Round 18 against Partizan away, Nigel did his job well by producing 26 PIR. However, without another player stepping up in order to support him, Fenerbahce could not steal the victory from Belgrade. Everyone probably remembers the historic 50 points against Alba last year and if he maintains his form, he could be a great pick for teams as a 2-game selection.
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (12.6 credits)
He struggled with injuries in the first half of the season and could not find his rhythm, but in recent weeks, his minutes on the court have been approaching 30 minutes averagely again, and he is slowly regaining his form. Despite the loss to Olympiacos last week, he produced 15 points and 3 rebounds, showing that he can still contribute well. For the Danish forward, the upcoming away game against Asvel could be an ideal matchup to start the second half of the season in a strong statement way.
Tarik Biberovic, Fenerbahce Beko (5.8 credits)
In this season, Tarık, whom we have previously described as a home-court giant, is a player who thrives by drawing energy from the fans. Since these types of players understand the importance of derby games for the fans, it is needless to say that he will be extra motivated. Considering that the next game after Efes, against Alba Berlin will also be at home, Tarık is the standout player for a 2-game low-credit selection.
Center
Daniel Oturu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (11.3 credits)
The center rotation at Efes seems to have become more stable; Coach Mijatovic has found the solution by sharing the munites between Poirier and Oturu for around 20 minutes each, allowing both players to perform more effectively during the games. For the upcoming away game against Fenerbahce in Round 19, we can assume that Oturu, who stands out for his athleticism might get more playing time. Furthermore, in the Round 2 game, Oturu produced 28 PIR for his team against Fener wwhat was making him Efes' best player in that game. There is a possibility that he could deliver a similar performance again.
Neal Sako, LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne (10.3 credits)
In the last two games, Lyon's representative has been missing their experienced center Lauvergne, and his status for the upcoming game against Milano has not yet been clarified and still uncertain. In Lauvergne's absence, Sako played 28 minutes in the last game and produced 20 PIR despite the loss to Virtus. If he remains to be the only center in the rotation against Milano, there is no reason not to consider him as a good option.
Head Coach
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (8.6 credits)
After the double loss in both Round 14 and 15, the team's owner Giannakapoulos posted a bus emoji on his personal Instagram account, which many people interpreted as a sign that the team would be returning to Athens by bus instead of by plane. This event may not have happened, but after those heavy defeats, Panathinaikos started a winning streak with three consecutive victories by large margins. Considering that they will play the next two games at home, Panathinaikos is an ideal choice for those looking to make an extra trade in Round 20 without changing the coach. It's a good option for those wanting to gain an extra trade.
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (6.0 credits)
According to the declaration of Isiaha Mike, Coach Obradovic took the game against his former team Fenerbahce personally due to the result of the first game played in Istanbul, and in response, he played the entire game with high energy, motivating the whole Partizan roster. Now, they have a crucial home game against Maccabi, where they must avoid mistakes to continue this momentum. After this, they will face three consecutive away games, so they will likely want to build some morale before heading into that stretch.
Drop Candidates
Ignas Brazdeikis, Zalgiris Kaunas (7.4 credits)
The player who will face his former team this week, has slightly lost his position in the team since his return from injury at Week 14. In the last 2 games, he only played 4 and 7 minutes of each. Brazdeikis who is not fully ready at the moment will face a top team like Olympiacos, and unfortunately he is not in a mental state to handle this calibre game. As a starting point, it's better to seek more easier options.
Marco Belinelli, Virtus Segafredo Bologna (5.6 credits)
The veteran still occasionally shows his experience, but against Panathinaikos, with one of the best perimeter defenses in the league and individual top defenders like Kalaitzakis, J. Grant, and Nunn, his job will not be easy.
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