Frankie Sachs shares five recommendations for this week's games in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge
Fantasy tips, Rounds 4-5: Getting better all the time
Fantasy Challenge
5 Minuto di lettura
Every week that goes by gives us more information with which to make smarter picks. Sometimes, even knowing when to rule out certain players can be important data points. Choosing wisely this week also means taking into consideration that it is a two-round week. How can we use that to our advantage?
Four teams won’t have to travel this week: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv and Paris Basketball. That is a boost for players on those teams. Zvezda and Anadolu Efes Istanbul are the only two teams to play in Round 4 on Tuesday and Round 5 on Friday, which gives those team's players an extra day of rest over their counterparts. Conversely, FC Barcelona, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, which could make things a touch more difficult for them in Round 5. All this is information worth taking into account.
However, before I get to my picks for this week, let’s review my Round 3 suggestions. Three of them did well – at least well enough to gain credits. Hamidou Diallo of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz recorded a 16.0 for Baskonia and his value jumped 0.2 to 11.1. Olympiacos Piraeus guard Tyler Dorsey was worth 18.7 points last week and his value rose 0.3 to 9.5. Saliou Niang of Virtus Bologna was worth 12.0 points and that pushed his value up 0.1 credits to 7.9. Those three can be considered wins.
Roman Sorkin posted an 11.0 for Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv and his value (9.9 credits) remained the same, so we can call that a wash. FC Bayern Munich's Isiaha Mike had his worst game of the season (2.0) and his value dropped 0.3 credits to 7.7. That was a bad pick. Altogether, that’s a record of 3-1-1 for my recommendations. Here's hoping for even better in Round 4 (and 5).
Donatas Motiejunas, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (7.3 credits)
In his first game with the club, only days after joining, Donatas Motiejunas gave Crvena Zvezda the inside presence it needed by scoring 13 points and grabbing 6 rebounds for a PIR of 19 in less than 15 minutes. Now he is reunited with his old coach, Sasa Obradovic. This is the time to invest in Motiejunas.
Andrea Obst, FC Bayern Munich (7.6 credits)
While Andrea Obst is playing similar minutes to last season, he has drawn more fouls recently, which over the last two games has led to much higher PIRs. An average of 24.0 per game, to be exact. Considering his modest price and the fact that Bayern plays in Turn 1 in both of its games this week, Obst is a worthwhile gamble. The potential injury to playmaker Stefan Jovic could also affect Obst.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (9.4 credits)
Despite coming off the bench for Baskonia, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot is playing between 25 and 30 minutes every night and is fifth in the league in scoring with 19.0 points per game. On Wednesday, Baskonia faces Paris Basketball, which traditionally plays at the fastest pace in the league. That should serve Luwawu-Cabarrot well.
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona (10.4 credits)
FC Barcelona is without two of its top three playmakers (Juan Nunez and Nicolas Laprovittola) which has opened the door to extended playing time for Tomas Satoransky. The veteran point guard cashed in last week with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. While Barca's point guard situation may remain fluid – with Dario Brizuela (7.0 credits) and Juani Marcos (5.4 credits) also in the mix, Satoransky gets first crack.
Dan Oturu, Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (11.5 credits)
When the season started, there was not a lot of clarity as to the rotations for Hapoel. After three games, it's pretty clear that Dan Oturu is top dog at center and he is producing nicely. His 20.93 fantasy points per game so far rank third among centers despite the fact that he is 15th in price. If you need a go-to center, Oturu could be your man and you may want to get on board while the price is still reasonable.