EuroLeague Primer: Wednesday Makeup Games

EuroLeague Primer: Wednesday Makeup Games

This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.

PREGAME UPDATES

STATS AND INFO.

THE SLATE

FC Bayern Munich at Anadolu Efes Istanbul

Status Check: Corey Walden (BAY), Nick Weiler-Babb (BAY), Vasilije Micic (EFS), Rodrigue Beaubois (EFS)

Best Bets for Success: Both these teams sewed up playoff spots last week, but they are still jockeying for positioning, and Bayern in particular will be looking for a win to boost their chances of avoiding top-seeded Barcelona. The visitors will be playing the middle contest of the first triple-game week in EuroLeague history, so it's likely the minutes will be fairly spread out on their side. Despite that, you'll still want to consider Augustine Rubit, who was the only Bayern player to top the 20-point mark on DraftKings three times over the club's last four EuroLeague games. At $9,400 on DraftKings, Rubit is as pricey as he has been all season, but Efes ranks last in the league against forwards in all of the points, rebounds, assists and field goal attempts categories. Micic will remain sidelined for the home team, which is bad news for their prospects of coming away with the win, but good news for those including Shane Larkin in their fantasy lineups. With Micic unavailable in Round 33, Larkin snapped out of a mini-slump in a big way, putting up a season-high 55.8 points on DraftKings. Larkin is easily the most expensive player on the board, but he is also returning more average value than all but one player on the slate.

DFS Darlings: Given Efes' issues with forwards, Vladimir Lucic will be in position to deliver -- particularly with him checking in at a season-low $8,000 on DraftKings. Lucic has been a bit quiet of late, but he made a lot of noise last time he saw the Turkish team, recording both a double-double and a season-high 41.5 points on DraftKings. Deshaun Thomas also looks pretty good at a meager $6,200, particularly with him facing a team he used to play for. Bayern remains shorthanded in the backcourt, which makes Zan Mark Sisko one of the best bargains available at $5,200. Sisko does not stand out in any one area, but he did make multiple marks in at least three categories four times over his last five appearances and averaged 26 minutes per game over that span. It's not yet clear if Beaubois will play Wednesday, but if he does not, Elijah Bryant will be a player to go after at $6,600. Adrien Moerman was shut out last time these teams met, and Bayern ranks top-6 against forwards in all six counting stats as well as FGA. However, Moerman still deserves consideration, having put up at least 27.5 DraftKings points in three straight games. Bryant Dunston also earns a mention after averaging 21.1 points on the same website over his last four trips to the court.

Panathinaikos OPAP Athens at ALBA Berlin

Status Check: Stefan Jovic (PAO), Lefteris Bochoridis (PAO), Nikos Chougkaz (PAO), Luke Sikma (BER), Marcus Eriksson (BER), Ben Lammers (BER), Yovel Zoosman (BER)

Best Bets for Success: This contest will not have any bearing on the postseason, so we'll start off by saying there's no guarantee anyone who takes the court will play his regular role. With that being said, Georgios Papagiannis still has a chance to end the season leading the league in both rebounds and blocks, so it seems likely he will be given the opportunity to do so. Papagiannis comes in averaging 34.6 DraftKings points over his last five games, and the big man produced in a big way when these teams squared off in Round 14, recording a double-double and four blocks. Nemanja Nedovic has been on a roll as well, putting up at least 25.0 DraftKings points in 10 of his last 11 appearances and scoring at least 13 points in each contest. No team has struggled against guards more than Panathinaikos, who rank bottom-4 against players at those positions in five of the six counting stats as well as FGA. That's good news for both Maodo Lo and Jaleen Smith. The former was a bit inconsistent in March and was surprisingly shut out last time he faced the Greek team, but he still bring plenty of upside to the table, having recorded at least 33.5 DraftKings points six times this season. Smith does not possess the same upside, but he does check in a few bucks cheaper and has been more steady, recording at least 22.8 DraftKings points seven times over his last eight games.

DFS Darlings: It's not yet known what ALBA's roster will look like, but chances are Sikma will be in uniform after recovering from COVID-19. However, he suited up for Monday's domestic game and did not take the court, so he could be held out again Wednesday to rest up for the rest of the domestic season. Sikma is returning more average value than any player on the board, but he will be a risky option Wednesday. A better one to consider -- particularly if none of ALBA's injured players are available -- is Oscar da Silva, who is again producing like he did earlier in the season. da Silva's price is back up to $8,400, but he averaged 22.9 DraftKings points over his last six games, and he figures to spend plenty of time on the court in a game that will not affect the standings. Johannes Thiemann will be a player to consider at $6,100 if Lammers sits, and Tamir Blatt earns a mention thanks to the matchup. On the Panathinaikos side, Ioannis Papapetrou stands out at $7,400, and he should play plenty just a few games into his return from an extended absence. Lefteris Mantzoukas, at a meager $4,000, is also worth a look after playing 16 minutes in each of his team's last two EuroLeague games.

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. Kevin O'Brien plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kevob100, DraftKings: kevob100.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin O'Brien
Kevin mans the Packers and Brewers beats and moonlights as RotoWire's Director of Operations.
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