This article is part of our EuroLeague Primer series.
PREGAME UPDATES
- Barcelona's Pau Gasol will not play Friday.
- Panathinaikos' Mario Hezonja will not see action in Round 26.
- ALBA's Niels Giffey will return to action Friday.
- Derrick Walton and Antoine Diot will not play Friday for ASVEL, but Charles Kahudi could be ready to return.
- Melih Mahmutoglu and Alex Perez will be unavailable for Fenerbahce on Friday.
THE SLATE
Anadolu Efes Istanbul at 
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Status Check: None
Best Bets for Success: Friday's slate starts with Turkish derby game. Both teams have clean bill of health, hence there's plenty of top players to choose from. Shane Larkin and Nando de Colo are on hot streaks at the moment, recording an average of 35.5 and 35.2 DFS points respectively, over last five games. They are both most expensive options for Friday so, if you are looking for more budget plays, Marko Guduric and Vasilije Micic would be good targets. The former claimed starting spot in Fenerbahce team straight after his arrival in December and scored in double figures in last four out of five EuroLeague games, also contributing with assists and rebounds. Micic was a standing out Efes player this season, regardless of Larkin's presence on the court, and is set to bounce back from weaker performance in last game against Olympiacos. We'll have very interesting matchup in frontcourt, where Jan Vesely, January's EuroLeague MVP will face Bryant Dunston. In the last five games, only once Fenerbahce center scored less than 15 points, while Dunston regularly delivers over 20 DFS points performances, and was close to record points-rebounds double-double few times this season.
DFS Darlings: Krunoslav Simon, when healthy, is a regular contributor to Efes' scoreboard. He exploded with no less than 42 DFS points in last Turkish derby in EuroLeague. Dyshawn Pierre averaged 25.2 DFS points over last five outings, despite starting all games on the bench. He usually takes over from Danilo Barthel or Edgaras Ulanovas in second half. Kyle O'Quinn established himself as backup center for Fenerbahce. Delivering eight points, six rebounds and three assists in last game, he is a great budget option at just $5,300 with DraftKings.
Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade at 
TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Status Check: Landry Nnoko (RED), Quino Colom (RED), Langston Hall (RED), Duop Reath (RED)
Best Bets for Success: Considering that both teams are vulnerable to opposition guards this season, there is few backcourt players that are worth highlighting for Friday's matchup. Luca Vildoza consistently delivered at least 22.3 DFS points in last five games. Pierria Henry, after spending only 13 minutes on the court in the game against Khimki, should continue to take lead backcourt role. His shorter outing was rather due to Baskonia's comfortable lead than injury. Jordan Loyd is back at full speed after recovering from leg injury. Red Star's shooting guard is back to form from last year with 28.4 fantasy points average in last two games. Lloyd also scored amazing 49 DFS points in reverse matchup last year. He will probably start alongside Corey Walden, who missed one game due to illness. Walden was on the team roster for make-up game against Zalgiris on Tuesday bit didn't take a part. In last four games before his absence, he averaged 20.1 DFS points. Alec Peters continues good scoring form, mainly from the bench, with six out of his last seven games in double figures.
DFS Darlings: Ognjen Dobric stepped up in place of injured Loyd in last two months, but even with Red Star's star back on court, his average of 19.9 DFS points from the bench in last three games is respectable. Dejan Davidovac's form is also on the rise. While he rarely starts games, he was still able to score at least 19.3 fantasy points in three out of his last four starts.
Panathinaikos OPAP Athens at 
ALBA Berlin
Status Check: Nemanja Nedovic (PAN), Mario Hezonja (PAN), Georgios Kalaitzakis (PAN), Leonidas Kaselakis (PAN), Jayson Granger (BER), Niels Giffey (BER), Louis Olinde (BER)
Best Bets for Success: Both teams are top-5 in the league in DFS points conceded against forward and center positions. That gives fantasy players a galore of options in this matchup. Few of ALBA's frontcourt players are standing out with great DFS points averages in last three games: Luke Sikma (27.4), Ben Lammers (27.8) and Simone Fontecchio (26.7). Sikma seems to be most versatile from this trio, as he usually contributes not only to points tally but also dishes assists and rebounds. Panathinaikos' response to Alba's assets are their best frontcourt performers this season: Georgios Papagiannis and Ioannis Papapetrou. Both have recovered from January's injuries and are up to speed now. They also had great games in the last matchup in December, scoring 32 and 35.5 DFS points respectively. Konstantinos Mitoglou claimed regular place in starting roster in Papapetrou's absence and he is still going strong, only once scoring less than 22 fantasy points since calendar flipped to 2021.
DFS Darlings: With all focus on forwards and centers, there will be couple budget options in both team's backcourts. Marcus Eriksson scored his season best 19 points in last outing against Fenerbahce. Second guard spot in Alba's starting lineup will be taken by Maodo Lo, who performed very well in absence of Jayson Granger, missing double-double in last game by just two assists. Lefteris Bochoridis emerged as viable option after scoring in double figures in last two games. He's worth a shot at just $6,500 on DraftKings slate for Friday.
Status Check: Derrick Walton (ASV), Charles Kahudi (ASV), Ismael Bako (ASV), Leo Westermann (BAR), Victor Claver (BAR)
Best Bets for Success: Cory Higgins' 13 games run of scoring double figures in EuroLeague games will probably continue ion Friday night. ASVEL is 3rd worst in competition in defending against guards and, on the top of that, Barcelona averaged very good 86.5 points average per home game this year. Higgins is often overlooked in fantasy contests, with Nick Calathes and Nikola Mirotic as most expensive players, but judging by last games stats he is definitely returning most value. Brandon Davies is also a player worth to be considered in this section – despite most often starting on the bench, he averaged 21 DFS points over his last four games. Moustapha Fall should again be standing out player, not only due to his height. Lyon's center scored over 20 fantasy points in three consecutive games, just shy of double-double in last two. Norris Cole will start in point guard slot, especially with Derrick Walton doubtful for this matchup. Cole averages 26.7 DFS points over last six games and, alongside David Lighty, spends most time on the court from all ASVEL players.
DFS Darlings: Adam Hanga contributes in all areas of the game and will likely see extended time on the court if Leo Westermann sits out Friday. With Davies playing so well off the bench, Pierre Oriola has established himself as starting center in last five games. His last outing was especially impressive: against Zalgiris he tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and dished out two blocks. Antoine Diot scored over 20 DFS points in three out of his last five games and he will also benefit if Walton will sit that one out.
