EuroLeague Primer: Playoffs - Game 3

EuroLeague Primer: Playoffs - Game 3

This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.

PREGAME UPDATES

STATS AND INFO.

THE SLATE

Anadolu Efes Istanbul at Real Madrid

Status Check: Walter Tavares (MAD), Anthony Randolph (MAD)

Best Bets for Success: Efes' guards dominated the first two games of this series, and of course, Shane Larkin and Vasilije Micic were the team's top two producers in the backcourt. Both players were a little off in Game 1 and Micic exited early with an injury, but they were in top form in Game 2, combining to score 44 points while shooting 15-of-22 from the field and 8-of-10 beyond the arc. With the Turkish team hitting the road for the first time since the postseason began, expect both players to continue carrying the load. A healthy Tavares would easily be Madrid's top option, but it's not yet clear if he will play Tuesday, and it seems unlikely he will be 100 percent if he does. Considering his price point, you may want to eliminate Tavares from the equation. Even if you don't, Trey Thompkins looks like the safest option for the Spanish squad. Thompkins was the only Madrid player to reach double figures in both Games 1 and 2, and he averaged 15.5 points over his last four matchups with the Turkish team.

DFS Darlings: Efes made it look easy in Games 1 and 2, but Madrid should put up more of a fight Tuesday with its season on the line, so the regulars figure to see ample action for both clubs. Madrid hasn't gotten consistent production from many players of late, but if you're looking for fantasy points, the next best options behind Thompkins -- again, excluding Tavares -- are Nicolas Laprovittola and Usman Garuba. The former has struggled with his jumper in the postseason, but he averaged a stellar 30.8 fantasy points over his last three EuroLeague appearances. Garuba was used sparingly in Game 1 after missing time with a calf injury, but he played 31 minutes in Game 2 and recorded at least 21.5 DFS points three times over his last six EuroLeague games. For the home team, Sertac Sanli is next on the list, but head coach Ergin Ataman may not use his centers as frequently if Tavares is out. If that turns out to be true, Adrien Moerman will likely benefit most. We started with Efes' backcourt and will finish with the same group. Krunoslav Simon offers more upside and versatility than Rodrigue Beaubois, but the latter has been doing more scoring, putting up 30 points to Simon's 17 since the series began.

FC Barcelona at Zenit Saint Petersburg

Status Check: Mateusz Ponitka (DYR), Arturas Gudaitis (DYR)

Best Bets for Success: It should come as no surprise that the top playoff producer for each of these teams shared co-MVP honors last week. After shining in the first two games of the series, Kevin Pangos will be looking to inch his team closer to the Final Four with a win Wednesday. The Canadian guard has averaged 21.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the postseason thus far, and he is leading his squad with an average of 35 minutes per contest. Pangos has reached peak form late in the season, averaging 33.3 DFS points over his last seven EuroLeague outings. Will Thomas also dropped double digits in the points column in both games at Barcelona, but he did not rebound like he usually does, grabbing only a total of three rebounds. The forward converted 11-of-18 shots from the field and all six of his free-throw attempts, and we can expect him to be heavily involved again Wednesday considering the absences in Zenit's frontcourt. Brandon Davies was Barca's top scorer in the two games of the series, averaging 20.0 ppg and even making a couple three-pointers. He came very close to a couple double-doubles last week, grabbing nine boards in Game 1 and eight in the next game. Zenit players fouled Davies 16 times, and as a result he got up 21 shots from the charity stripe and converted 18 of them. Cory Higgins has not made as much noise as a couple of the guys mentioned already, but he scored 15 points in each game, made all 13 of his shots from the line and averaged 25.7 DFS points.

DFS Darlings: With Gudaitis unavailable after injuring his ankle in Game 1, Tarik Black will most likely spend more time at the center position. Black had nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in Game 2. He is priced at just $6,600 on DraftKings, but keep in mind that Zenit's big man averaged 4.5 fouls in Games 1 and 2. Nick Calathes is not featured in this section on regular basis, but for Game 3 he is, as he is priced at a season-low $7,400. Calathes averaged just 16.6 DFS points last week, but he could be worth a gamble at this price. Plus, his most-productive game of the regular season came against Zenit, as he put up 40.3 DFS points against the Russian club in Round 22.

CSKA Moscow at Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

Status Check: Joel Bolomboy (CSK), Nikola Milutinov (CSK), Jan Vesely (ULK), Edgaras Ulanovas (ULK), Jarell Eddie (ULK), Ahmet Duverioglu (ULK), Ali Muhammed (ULK), Yigit Onan (ULK), 

Best Bets for Success: Daniel Hackett starred in Games 1 and 2, averaging 35.6 DFS points in two decisive wins over Fenerbahce. He has definitely upped his game in the playoffs, as in his last five outings in the regular season he averaged a rather-modest 17.4 fantasy points. Hackett easily reached double figures in both games and also averaged 3.5 boards,, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 3.5 threes last week. Tornike Shengelia's performance in Game 2 was one of the biggest factors in CSKA's victory. The forward scored 11 points and notched a seven in both the rebounds and assists columns while totalling 34.75 DFS points. He had a frustrating outing in the opening matchup of the series, playing only 20 minutes and picking up a technical foul, but that was an exception in his very successful first season with CSKA. Nando de Colo and Marko Guduric took turns leading their team with 27 points last week, as de Colo accomplished that feat in Game 1 and Guduric did in the ensuing contest. d Colo struggled in Game 2 after suffering a nose injury in the first quarter, but DraftKings expects him to run the show again Wednesday, as he is the most expensive guard in this game and the second-most expensive on the slate. Guduric scored in double figures in both games and made 7-of-11 shots from downtown. The 27 points he scored Friday were a career high. Guduric drew 12 fouls in the first two games of the series and converted 11-of-13 free throws.

DFS Darlings: Nikita Kurbanov was impressive in Game 2 with 23.5 DFS points in his account. CSKA's skipper has started every single game this season, and he figures to be plenty active again Wednesday as CSKA goes fro the sweep. Kurbanov is priced at just $4,900 on the DraftKings slate. It's not yet clear who will and who will not suit up Wednesday for Fenerbahce, but they will remain without at least three players. Tarik Biberovic, despite his limited experience, managed to produce an average of 10.6 DFS points last week. With Fenerbahce remaining short-handed, he could be worth a shot on DraftKings at just $4,600.

AX Armani Exchange Milan at FC Bayern Munich

Status Check: Nick Weiler-Babb (MUN), Nihad Dedovic (MUN), JaJuan Johnson (MUN), Diego Flaccadori (MUN)

Best Bets for Success: After two impressive showings last week, Zach LeDay is now the expensive play in Milan's ranks at $9,000. He has averaged 27.2 DFS points in the postseason so far, reaching double figures and grabbing seven rebounds in both Games 1 and 2. LeDay was the man of the moment in Game 1, scoring the winning basket with less than a second on the clock. Malcolm Delaney stuffed the stats sheet in both games last week and averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists. His time on the court is also increasing to pre-injury levels as he spent 24 and 25 minutes on the court in the first two games of the series. Sergio Rodriguez's impact has been significant in both matchups so far. Despite not starting, the Spaniard scored 13 points and grabbed two boards in each game, and he also chipped in four assists in Game 2. He will play his usual role in Munich this week, so expect him to strike from the bench again. Wade Baldwin recovered quickly after recording a disappointing 15.5 DFS points in Game 1. Two days later he led Bayern in scoring and assists with a 23 and a six in the respective stats columns, which resulted in an impressive 41.0 fantasy points. Baldwin will need to be at his best again in Game 3 if Bayern hopes to make it to a Game 4.

DFS Darlings: With Bayern's backcourt down two and maybe three players, D.J. Seeley should remain plenty active. The experienced guard impressed in Game 1 with 23 points, converting 7-of-10 shots from the field while grabbing six rebounds. Seeley is priced at a mere $5,200 for Wednesday's matchup after not contributing much in Game 2 of the series, in which he saw just 12 minutes of action. Paul Zipser produced 14.4 DFS points over the last two outings, and with Weiler-Babb and possibly Johnson unavailable, he could handle a bigger role than usual. Zipser averaged 10.3 points, 2.7 boards and 1.4 assists in home games during the regular season.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Maciej Bogdanski plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: kmag115173. Kevin O'Brien plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kevob100, DraftKings: kevob100.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Maciej Bogdanski
Maciej is a former RotoWire contributor.
Kevin O'Brien
Kevin mans the Packers and Brewers beats and moonlights as RotoWire's Director of Operations.
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