This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
THE SLATE
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade at Khimki Moscow Region
Key Injuries: Stefan Jovic (KHI), Sergei Monia (KHI), Sergey Karasev (KHI)
Best Bets for Success: Alexey Shved stuffed the stat sheet in his season debut last week, and while he won't put up 32 points and 11 assists in every game, he won't be too far off, either. He's a good bet in any fantasy contest Friday, particularly on DraftKings, where for some reason he will cost $1,500 less than he did in Round 5. Shved dominates the ball, but he isn't the only Khimki player to consider Friday, as big men Devin Booker -- coming off back-to-back double-doubles -- and Greg Monroe proved last week they can exist in the same frontcourt. Red Star will counter with some firepower of its own in the form of Jordan Loyd, who heading into Friday's contest leads all qualified players in scoring by more than 5.0 points per game.
DFS Darlings: With Khimki nearly back at full strength, the days of finding value plays on their roster appear to be in the past. The Serbian team can offer up a couple affordable options though in the form of Johnny O'Bryant and Emanuel Terry. Both will carry some risk with O'Bryant making his Red Star debut and Terry playing just his second EuroLeague game, but they're both worthy gambles, as O'Bryant was a big-time producer last time he saw EuroLeague action and Terry will cost just $4,400 on DraftKings.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul at Olympiacos Piraeus
Key Injuries: Sertac Sanli (IST)
Best Bets for Success: Shane Larkin, the best player in the league last season and the presumptive MVP, will make his first appearance of the new season Friday. Larkin was about as steady as they come in fantasy contests a few months ago, and chances are he will be again at some point soon. However, given that he will likely be eased into action and is still priced as if he is in top form, it may be best to hold off on including him in your lineups. Larkin's return clouds the outlook for just about every Efes guard, but if you believe his minutes be limited, the uber-efficient Krunoslav Simon is still a fine choice. As for Olympiacos, they're a hard team to figure out at the moment, as no one on the Greek squad is averaging even 20 points per game on DraftKings. Their best player, Kostas Sloukas, is at least down to an affordable $8,000, and he's still plenty capable of delivering a double-double.
DFS Darlings: While Olympiacos lacks top-tier options, they do have numerous options in the value play department -- someone has to put up stats, after all. Their best cheaper options this week appear to be Georgios Printezis, whose price has dropped noticeably but is leading his team in scoring, and Aaron Harrison, who has played 20 minutes in every game and takes on an Efes backcourt that has been friendly to opposing guards. Sasha Vezenkov would be a good value if he sees more minutes. Efes' Bryant Dunston will cost a bit more than those players, but he's still less than $8,000 on DraftKings and is coming off his best game of the season.
FC Barcelona at TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Key Injuries: Victor Claver (BAR)
Best Bets for Success: Nikola Mirotic is about as consistent a producer as Larkin when he's at full speed, and although he has not seen EuroLeague action in a few weeks he should be ready to play his regular role Friday, as he saw action in Barcelona's previous two domestic league games and played 26 minutes in the last one. He is the most expensive player on Friday's DraftKings slate, and although he has hit 40 DraftKings points only five times in 30 career EuroLeague games, he has put up at least 30 points on 20 occasions, making him one of the safest plays out there. Baskonia has all kinds of intriguing options, with the top one being Achille Polonara. Since his breakout game in Round 4 Polonara has put up big numbers in the Spanish league, and he figures to get a chance to do the same Friday. He will fit in just about any DraftKings lineup at $7,700.
DFS Darlings: In addition to Polonara, Alec Peters and Luca Vildoza are interesting options, the former because he is averaging 20 points on DraftKings and costs just $5,000, and the latter because of his steady output thus far. And don't forget about Pierria Henry -- it's been nearly a month since his big Round 1 showing, but he is now below $8,000 on DraftKings. Like Henry, Cory Higgins is another player who has slipped beneath the $8,000-mark but already has a 40-point DraftKings game under his belt. Kyle Kuric is also worth considering at his price.