This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
We have one more DraftKings slate to wrap up what has been an awesome first week of the Playoffs. The theme of Friday's slate is unfortunately injuries, as a number of key contributors are either uncertain or out altogether. For Fenerbahce we are monitoring three key players -- Scottie Wilbekin, Johnathan Motley and Tarik Biberovic. As for the other game we have Olympiacos possibly being down another frontcourt option in Filip Petrusev, who picked up a knee injury late in Game 1. Olympiacos will almost certainly be without Kostas Papanikolaou again, and we will discuss both situations below. Good luck!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($10,400)
Fenerbahce has an excellent game plan for James, and it prevented him from really getting going in Game 1. Fenerbahce was essentially denying him the ball hard, and he was content letting Elie Okobo run the offense, which was surprising to me. I still think James is the best floor play in case games on the slate, but I understand the fade more so today than I did in Game 1.
Thomas Walkup, Olympiacos Piraeus ($8,400)
Nigel Williams-Goss, Olympiacos Piraeus ($8,000)
The second guard I'm looking to get into my lineups is most likely one of the Olympiacos floor generals. Walkup got in foul trouble last game, which helped the other guards get going. All in all, at these prices I think one of the two playmaking guys for Olympiacos could regularly find himself in the optimal lineup.
Nick Calathes, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($9,600)
The only way I'm spending nearly $10,000 on Calathes is if Wilbekin is ruled out. If Wilbekin is unavailable that means maximum minutes for Calathes, who can return meaningful value thanks to his elite peripheral abilities.
Elie Okobo, AS Monaco ($8,900)
Jordan Loyd, AS Monaco ($7,500)
It was Okobo who came up big for them last game despite the defeat, but any given game it can be one of these two stepping up and taking advantage of how much attention Fenerbahce is directing at James. Okobo is the stud do-it-all sixth man and Loyd starts at the shooting guard spot.
Valuable Values
Marko Guduric, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($7,700)
Tyler Dorsey, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($6,500)
These are the two guys who should benefit most minutes-wise if Wilbekin is out Friday. Dorsey had a ceiling rebound game his last time out, so I wouldn't expect that type of production again, but he could always do more in other areas to hit 3x at this price. Guduric would be the leverage pick off of Dorsey.
Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos Piraeus ($6,400)
Isaiah Canaan, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,600)
These are two very different types of guards, as Canaan will start at the shooting guard spot and is a knockdown shooter whereas Mckissic has actually been playing some small forward and is a disrupting slasher. Both are very capable of taking over games but both also capable of returning less than 2x value.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Nigel Hayes-Davis, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($10,000)
Much like James, it's really just a floor play with the lack of elite spend-up options on a small slate. I think you should absolutely have one or the other for upside and raw DraftKings points.
Alpha Diallo, AS Monaco ($8,200)
If James continues getting all the attention, Diallo is another playmaker who can step up for Monaco. He's at a very affordable price for someone who could lead the slate in DraftKings points.
Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona ($9,200)
Vesely was hurt by foul trouble his last time out, and this matchup is one of the toughest out there. Like I said before, though, if he sees the minutes and is hitting his jumpers he could really make an impact.
Valuable Values
Nikola Kalinic, FC Barcelona ($7,400)
This was a big whiff by me in Game 1. I really liked the floor but as soon as Alex Abrines checked in and got hot from deep I knew I could be in trouble in terms of Kalinic's minutes. I think the ideal scenario for Kalinic is that Abrines checks in for his first stint and is cold from long range. I think in that scenario we see minutes in the high 20s from Kalinic, and I might just go back to him as a last piece in.
Johnathan Motley, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($7,200)
We need to confirm he's back before entering him into our lineups, but be sure to follow @RotoWireEuro and turn on notifications. If you see the green light that Motley is returning, I'd prefer him over Kalinic due to the upside.
Nate Sestina, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ($4,700)
He truly changed Game 1 after coming off the bench, and now Biberovic is uncertain. If Biberovic is forced to miss, Sestina -- below the $5,000 mark -- will have the opportunity to make the same impact he did last time out.
John Brown, AS Monaco ($6,000)
He's only $6,000 and will get at least 30 minutes in a home game. He isn't flashy but I love him if you need a guy in this range.
Luke Sikma, Olympiacos Piraeus ($4,600)
If Petrusev is out, Sikma could see even more minutes than he did in Game 1, when he started in place of Papanikolaou. The playing time will be even more secure if both teammates are unavailable.
