This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGMAE UPDATES
- Khimki's Greg Monroe will be unavailable for Wednesday's contest.
- Bayern's Vladimir Lucic will be sidelined for a second straight Round.
THE SLATE
FC Bayern Munich at Zenit Saint Petersburg
Key Injuries: Vladimir Lucic (MUN)
Best Bets for Success: This game is not included on Wednesday's DraftKings slate, but we will give it a quick rundown in case you use this article for assistance on other websites. One of Lucic, Wade Baldwin or Jalen Reynolds has been Bayern's top option in just about every game this season, and with Lucic's status uncertain and Zenit shutting down opposing guards better than anyone, Reynolds gets top billing in this one. He has produced consistently in his first season with Bayern and is coming off his second double-double of the campaign. Kevin Pangos has been Zenit's best player, and he has bounced back nicely from a midseason lull, averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 assists and 2.3 three-pointers while shooting 53.1 percent over his last four outings.
DFS Darlings: It's probably best to avoid any Bayern guard in this matchup, but Paul Zipser will be an intriguing option, particularly if Lucic sits. JaJuan Johnson would also get a boost in that scenario. Bayern has shut down opposing frontcourt players pretty well, which isn't ideal for Zenit's big men. Mateusz Ponitka seems most likely to produce from the forward position, and Austin Hollins -- who averaged 15.5 points over his last four games -- is worth considering as well.
Khimki Moscow Region at FC Barcelona
Key Injuries: Sergey Karasev (KHI), Victor Claver (BAR)
Best Bets for Success: Alexey Shved is the safest option on the entire board, as he is averaging nearly 10 more fantasy points per game than anyone else on the slate and is also returning the most value at his current price on DraftKings. Barcelona has been one of the best against opposing guards, but Shved has already overcome tough matchups several times this season. Barcelona's Nikola Mirotic is coming off his best game of the season, and he will be in position to have another nice day against a Khimki team allowing 3.4 more points per game than any other team. Those going with Mirotic on Wednesday will no doubt be hoping Khimki -- a double-digit underdog -- can keep the game close, as head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius has not been afraid to limit Mirotic's minutes in games that get out of hand. Nick Calathes, averaging 8.0 assists over the last seven Rounds, is also set up for success against the porous Khimki defense. He will carry some risk for the same reason as Mirotic, and also because he hasn't been doing much scoring.
DFS Darlings: This matchup pretty safely has the highest over/under on the board, which should lead to some good values in Wednesday's contests. Khimki's big men are essentially a horse apiece, with all four players listed at the center position averaging within 3.0 fantasy points of each other. You could make a case for any of them, but Jordan Mickey looks like the top option in this one. Devin Booker's minutes are concerning, Barcelona doesn't allow many rebounds or threes, and Mickey's ability to produce in multiple categories offsets that more so than his teammates. Just about every Barcelona non-center is intriguing in this game, as Khimki has been one of worst against players at the guard and forward positions in just about every category. Given the blowout potential, we'll go with Kyle Kuric and Rolands Smits as a couple guys to consider if you need to round out your roster.
Valencia Basket at Olympiacos Piraeus
Key Injuries: Vanja Marinkovic (PAM), Joan Sastre (PAM), Kostas Papanikolaou (OLY)
Best Bets for Success: No one has been particularly consistent for either team this month, and a number of players could wind up the top producer for their clubs. Valencia remains stout against guards and centers but the absolute worst against players at the forward position, so by default we will go with Georgios Printezis -- just $6,700 on DraftKings -- as Olympiacos' top option at this one. Printezis averaged 10.8 points over the last four Rounds and could see extra minutes in Papanikolaou is sidelined. Conversely, Olympiacos has shut down frontcourt players as well as anyone, so Valencia's top point-getter will presumably be a guard. This seems like a prime opportunity for Klemen Prepelic to get back on track. Before scoring a total of 11 points over the last two Rounds, Prepelic averaged 16.3 ppg in his previous six games.
DFS Darlings: Livio Jean-Charles will be in play given the matchup, and Sasha Vezenkov will be too if Papanikolaou sits. Neither will cost you more than $6,000 on DraftKings, and Jean-Charles appears locked into a starting spot while Vezenkov is usually good for at least 10 points when he gets 20 minutes.
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv at LDLC ASVEL
Key Injuries: William Howard (ASV)
Best Bets for Success: Scottie Wilbekin is due for a bounceback, but ASVEL will not make things easy on him, as the French club is giving up by far the fewest three-pointers in the league. Wilbekin remains fourth in the league in points per game, and he did average nearly a point per minute in Maccabi's blowout of ASVEL last season. The option for the home team isn't particularly easy to figure out in this one, but David Lighty looks to be the guy. Lighty led ASVEL in fantasy points in three of its last five games, and with Howard out, Lighty should good for at least 25 minutes.
DFS Darlings: Maccabi has given up its fair share of big days to opposing centers, so Moustapha Fall will have a chance to score in double figures for the first time month -- provided he stays out of foul trouble.