This article is part of our DraftKings EuroLeague DFS Picks series.
Slate Overview
We have another monster of a slate and one that includes some of the best guards in the league, which makes choosing the correct very difficult. Between the elite players and solid value options, three-guard lineups look like a winner and will absolutely be my preferred build. Chima Moneke should play, Johannes Thiemann will not, and we are still waiting to see how the Olympiacos backcourt shakes out. Good luck, everyone!
Guards to Go After
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Mike James, AS Monaco ($11,600)
One of the best players of all-time gets one of the best matchups possible. The only question is, can ALBA keep it close enough for James to get a full workload? If you think so, I think the decision to roster James is an easy one.
Yago Dos Santos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($9,900)
Another round without Milos Teodosic means another round of max usage for Dos Santos. This time he gets a very favorable matchup against a fast-paced Maccabi team.
Wade Baldwin IV, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($11,100)
Lorenzo Brown, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($9,200)
I haven't used my Maccabi guard rule as much lately, but I think Thursday could be the day I go back to it. The rule I'm speaking of is starting most of my builds with at least one of these guys given their high usage. They both get a decent matchup in Round 29, and I always like targeting Brown when his price dips this low thanks to how strong his peripherals can be. He has a very safe floor at this price point.
Chris Jones, Valencia Basket ($9,100)
Shabazz Napier, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($9,000)
The $9,000 range is loaded at the guard spots, and thanks to these two and Brown lineup building will be fun Thursday. Both Jones and Napier play upwards of 30 minutes some nights and get massive usage. I absolutely want one of these two or Brown in my builds with how high -- at least by EuroLeague standards -- their floor is and the fact they also offer 4x upside. Napier has the best matchup of the bunch.
Kostas Sloukas, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens ($8,600)
It will be a homecoming game -- not necessarily a warm one -- for Sloukas in the Greek derby, as he returns to the gym he used to play his home games in. He topped the 30-point mark on DraftKings in his last two appearances and remains below $9,000. He will have a tough matchup, but with Luca Vildoza out the usage and minutes should remain steady, and I will want some exposure in GPPs. His stock could go even higher if Thomas Walkup remains out for the opponent.
Nicolas Laprovittola, FC Barcelona ($8,500)
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona ($8,400)
The addition of Ricky Rubio has watered these guys down, but I think if you're entering multiple lineups it's not a bad idea to have some exposure due to the fast-paced environment this game presents and the fact Partizan can give up a lot of DraftKings points to opposing guards.
Valuable Values
Isaiah Canaan, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,900)
Nigel Williams-Goss, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,400)
Shaquielle McKissic, Olympiacos Piraeus ($6,800)
This is a scenario we will have to monitor closely, as Walkup, Williams-Goss and Giannoulis Larentzakis are all uncertain for Thursday's derby. If the first two are out I will strongly consider McKissic and Canaan in a lot of builds. If Walkup sits but Williams-Goss suits up I think all three players above will be in play. If all the injured guards go, though, it will be a tough situation to get into.
Matt Thomas, ALBA Berlin ($6,400)
Martin Hermannsson, ALBA Berlin ($6,200)
Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo are out for an extended period, and I like the skill sets these guys bring to the table. Both are very capable of returning 3x or more given the matchup.
Ricky Rubio, FC Barcelona ($5,000)
The minutes are starting to tick up slowly and this is a very friendly matchup. He's a risky upside play, but players with tournament-winning upside at this price point are tough to come by.
Ziga Samar, ALBA Berlin ($4,100)
Kevin Pangos, Valencia Basket ($4,400)
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco ($4,500)
These are all deep punt options whom I think will see 15-to-20 minutes. Pangos and Strazel have started recently and could do so again.
Frontcourt in Focus
Players listed in order of confidence
Preferred Plays
Shavon Shields, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($10,600)
Shields gets an elite matchup and the forward spots are weak Thursday. Shields showed last week what he is capable of when Milan is healthy and all the attention isn't on him. He should be chalky but for a very good reason.
Nikola Mirotic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan ($8,800)
My next favorite forward is Shields' teammate. I love attacking Baskonia with frontcourt players who possess upside, which is exactly what Mirotic has.
Bonzie Colson, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($9,100)
I don't roster Colson much because he's consistently one of the most accurately priced players, but Thursday he sees a dip and he gets a matchup he can take advantage of. We don't need much at this price, so we'll hope for somewhere between 26.0-to-29.0 DraftKings points.
Brandon Davies, Valencia Basket ($8,900)
He hasn't popped lately, but he's plenty capable of doing so and has elite upside below $9,000.
Valuable Values
Alpha Diallo, AS Monaco ($8,400)
We have yet to see Diallo take advantage of Jordan Loyd's absence, but he will not have a better opportunity to do so than he will Thursday against an ALBA team that is hardly stout on the defensive end.
Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade ($7,800)
We have to be careful here. I love rostering Mitrovic and he has an elite matchup, but his price is boosted coming off his best game of the season and I think that could make him a more popular play than I'd like. Plus, he's always live to pick up to quick fouls in any game.
Yanni Wetzell, ALBA Berlin ($6,800)
Khalifa Koumadje, ALBA Berlin ($6,000)
With Thiemann out that's one less player to take minutes at the center spot for ALBA. These two should soak up the minutes at that position against a Monaco team that always has a true center on the court.
Jasiel Rivero, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv ($6,300)
He got 22 minutes in Round 28 with Roman Sorkin out, and I suspect we see the same Thursday. Rivero has a very advantageous matchup against Red Star on the interior.
Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus ($7,600)
The matchup isn't easy but he will have the height advantage over Mathias Lessort and the price is still cheap enough to go after.
Tadas Sedekerskis, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz ($7,100)
The matchup is tough and it looks like Moneke will play, but Sedekerskis could still get 30 minutes if he stays out of foul trouble.
Mateusz Ponitka, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade ($4,300)
He's cheap, has been playing good minutes and has even been starting some games. With Tristan Vukcevic heading to the NBA, there's also more security in Partizan's frontcourt.
