This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Janis Strelnieks, Lukas Lekavicius and Paulius Jankunas will all be available for Zalgiris in Round 2.
- Fenerbahce's Ahmet Duverioglu is inactive for Thursday's game.
- Maccabi's Mathias Lessort is replacing Jake Cohen on the roster for Round 2.
- Red Star's Austin Hollins is on the active roster for Round 2.
- Bayern's Vladimir Lucic and Nihad Djedovic remain out for Round 2, but Gavin Schilling is ready to take the court.
THE SLATE
Zenit Saint Petersburg at Zalgiris Kaunas
Status Check: Shabazz Napier (ZEN), Janis Strelnieks (ZAL), Lukas Lekavicius (ZAL), Paulius Jankunas (ZAL)
Best Bets for Success: He didn't have the most spectacular of debuts, but Emmanuel Mudiay still hit the 20-point mark on DraftKings, and he could have the backcourt almost exclusively to himself Thursday if neither Strelnieks nor Lekavicius is able to go. Zenit is traditionally tough on opposing guards, but Mudiay has the skills to overcome that. Zenit's production was pretty spread out last week, and their top duo of Jordan Loyd and Jordan Mickey were pretty quiet in their debuts. It's tough to justify taking them on DraftKings at their current going rates, so the Russia team's best option seems to be Conner Frankamp, particularly at a measly $6,200. Frankamp should remain in the starting lineup and he led his squad in both minutes and points in Round 1 and also tied for the lead in field goal attempts.
DFS Darlings: Someone will have to fill the minutes in the backcourt if Zalgiris' injured guards sit. Arturas Milaknis would likely be the player that benefits most, and although he was quiet last week, he did average over 10 points on DraftKings last season in his 12 starts. Mantas Kalnietis would also be an option and he checks in $500 cheaper on the DraftKings slate. Zenit's roster remains pretty top-heavy, and none of their mid-tier players or below are particularly intriguing.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul at 
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens
Status Check: None
Best Bets for Success: Few had the Devin Booker/Pierria Henry combo leading the way in fantasy points for Fenerbahce in Round 1, but that's how things shook out, with both players putting up at least 27.5 points on DraftKings. Despite last week's results, it remains a guessing game on Fenerbahce's roster, particularly with Marko Guduric joining the fold for Round 2. Panathinaikos struggled with Monaco's guards last week, so you're probably safest going with Fenerbahce's backcourt players. Henry and Guduric are the most appealing, as something may be up with Nando de Colo, who came off the bench in Round 1 and sat out his club's last domestic contest. Panathinaikos' top player, Nemanja Nedovic, finished with negative fantasy points in Round 1, so he's anything but safe for the time being. Ioannis Papapetrou, on the other hand, came through as expected and remains the Greek team's top option for now.
DFS Darlings: With both teams healthy there isn't a lot for value in this one. Jehyve Floyd came through last week, though, and he remains an affordable $4,400 on DraftKings. We'd be remiss to not mention Dyshawn Pierre here after his stellar Round 1 showing, but with Danilo Barthel also ready to go for Fenerbahce, a repeat seems unlikely.
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade at 
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Status Check: Austin Hollins (CZV), Aaron White (CZV), Branko Lazic (CZV), Maik Zirbes (CZV), Ante Zizic (MTA), Mathias Lessort (MTA)
Best Bets for Success: We predicted Scottie Wilbekin would come out hot, and he did just that, leading all players in scoring in Round 1. A motivated Wilbekin is a dangerous Wilbekin, and Red Star put the clamps on him last time the two sides met up, so he figures to be fired up again in Round 2. Jalen Reynolds eased into the season, but he could have a big Round 2 against a Red Star team that lacks size. The Serbian squad will get key contributors Ognjen Dobric and Dejan Davidovac back in Round 2 but will also likely be without Hollins, so their roster will look a lot different than it did in Round 1. Nikola Kalinic remains a constant though, and after nearly putting up a double-double in Round 1, he remains the safest choice on his team.
DFS Darlings: You could certainly make an argument for Nikola Ivanovic to be included in the section above, as he was easily Red Star's top producer in Round 1. However, the impending returns of Dobric and Davidovac cause just enough uncertainty to land him here. Ivanovic is no longer the absolute steal he was on DraftKings in Round 1, as his price has nearly doubled from $3,000 to $5,900. However, that's still pretty affordable if you need to fill a final roster spot. There isn't a lot to consider here for Maccabi, but James Nunnally remains affordable as well at just $5,700.
FC Barcelona at 
FC Bayern Munich
Status Check: Alex Abrines (BAR), Sertac Sanli (BAR), Vladimir Lucic (BAY), Paul Zipser (BAY), Nihad Djedovic (BAY), Leon Radosevic (BAY), Gavin Schilling (BAY)
Best Bets for Success: Like Wilbekin, Nikola Mirotic had plenty of reason to be motivated in Round 1, and also like Wilbekin, he came through in spades. Mirotic is no longer the four-figure bargain he was in Round 1, but he's still one of the most attractive options near the top of the board, as he figures to play more in Round 2 after spending just 17 minutes on the court in Barcelona's blowout victory over ALBA. With Sanli out, this also looks like an attractive spot for Brandon Davies, who checks in at $9,000. Bayern was vague about the status of its injured players, and it's possible none of them return in Round 2. Deshaun Thomas will be the top pick for his squad, then, and we will slot in Corey Walden in place of Nick Weiler-Babb. Walden quietly averaged double figures last season, and he was nearly as productive as Thomas in Round 1.
DFS Darlings: You'll want to see how things shake out with Bayern's injured players, but should the roster remain unchanged, you'll have a few options to consider on DraftKings in Ognjen Jaramaz, Othello Hunter and Augustine Rubit. The latter two could have an advantage with the Spanish squad thin in the frontcourt, and Jaramaz is intriguing at just $4,300 having scored 26 points in Bayern's German Cup game last weekend. Every player that suited up for Barcelona last week played at least 13 minutes in Round 1, but Bayern -- even short-handed -- figures to keep this game closer, so don't expect every player that contributed in Round 1 to do so again. Rokas Jokubaitis will hang onto a rotation spot either way, and he's plenty appealing at just $6,800. Rolands Smits shined last year whenever he got an extended opportunity, and with Sanli sidelined, he could be worth a gamble at just $4,900.
