Some of my big guns from last round did what I expect them to do and some of them even turned out to be heroes of their teams (Carroll-Rodriguez duo for example). Others disappointed (like Farmar or Raduljica) while some had very good games and did what I expected them to do (Spanoulis with a double-double), but managed to ruin their PIR. Last week I reached out for some of Euroleague’s biggest names while this week I’m looking for some cheap solutions and possible “sleepers” that could be shining this week. We are in for another exciting week of Euroleague basketball and here are some of my tips for reinforcing your teams for week 5 of Euroleague basketball fantasy.
Fantasy Euroleague Challenge tips week 5 – Going cheap
Sergio Lull: The first player I’ll be recommending is also the only one from this week’s selection that costs more than 50 credits. But not much more as you can get him for only 52.2. The game between Strasbourg and Real should be a high-paced one, just like Sergio likes it. He is one of the best and most consistent players for Real this season and I consider him to be one of the best choices for round 5. Real still has a score of 2 wins and 2 losses and I expect them to take this one seriously. Lull has been one of the most reliable players of “Los Blancos” lately and I expect him to be up for the job once more. He is my first tip for Fantasy Euroleague Challenge week 5.
Randy Culpepper: He is one of the key players for the French side, especially on the offensive end and I expect him to step up this round. Limoges has been struggling to score lately, but they have a home game ahead of them in round 5. They are playing Milano who has also been struggling lately. Culpepper is a very good scorer and Limoges needs him to be at his best if they plan on competing with the Italian powerhouse. His price is 39.7, but I expect him to have a very good game. There are not a lot of underpriced PG’s at the moment, but Culpepper is one of them.
Luka Babic: Babic has raised his shape dramatically these past few games and I expect him to be one of the most bought players this week. He was the main reasons of Cedevita’s great away victories in Istanbul and Milano and he continued to roll in the ABA league too. He had a 21 PIR game against Mega Leks on Sunday. Babic is one of Cedevita’s key players at the moment and he is certainly worth adding for only 39.2 credits. Cedevita is playing Laboral Kutxa in Zagreb and I expect it to be an up-tempo game. Babic has been doing a little bit of everything for Cedevita: points, rebounds and assists. I hope he continues. Differential tip for EFC week 5.
David Logan: I think this is the perfect time to be getting Logan into your team. Dinamo Sassari has always been playing much better at home and this week they are playing a team that is not that much above their level as some other teams in the Euroleague. They are playing Brose Baskets Bamberg. A team that they can certainly compete with and most importantly, a team that is no stranger to a fast paced game. If you are a Euroleague enthusiast you already know Logan’s capabilities and you should also know that 28.2 credits is really a bargain for such a player. If Sassari wants to win this game they will need their leader to step up. Logan is capable of achieving “monster” numbers, especially when playing at home. Very low price for a possibly very high PIR.
Josh Carter: A player that hasn’t had great performances in the Euroleague this season, but he certainly has the potential to perform at a very high level from time to time. His price is just 24.5 credits at the moment while his limits are much higher. He’s been getting a lot of playing time so far and it is just a matter of time when should utilise it maximally. The other Carter on the team suffered an injury in a Turkish league game against Efes, so Josh Carter’s role on the team could get even more important. He scored 25 points in the aforementioned game against Efes on Monday. When his shooting percentage is at a satisfying level he is very hard to stop. One way or the other you can’t look past him for only 24.5 credits before a game against Zielona Gora at Izmir.
Luigi Datome: Fenerbahce is playing at home against a team that has the reputation of having one of the best rosters in the Euroleague this year. That team goes by the name Khimki and they have another trademark – bad defense! The have always been known as a team that does not play good defense, therefore they have been struggling a lot away from home.This should be an up-tempo game and I expect Fener to have very high numbers as a team. Meaning, a lot of points, rebounds and assists. Datome is a player that has a very significant role on coach Obradovic’s team and I expect him to be one of the top performers of this round. He is a good scorer and a rebounder. He can also be very aggressive and I expect him to create a lot of problems to Khimki’s defense. For only 38.9 credits, Datome could be the steal of the round.
Ian Vougioukas: The greek big man and PAO’s former player will be visiting OAKA this week. His current shape and the fact that he will be playing his former team, makes him a great choice for week 5. He is playing really well lately and he is an excellent choice for 49.2 credits. It is always tough to play in OAKA, but Vougioukas is familiar with the atmosphere and I expect him to be inspired. He should be a solid Fantasy Euroleague Challenge pick for week 5.
Brian Randle: Although Maccabi has been struggling as a team so far, Randle looks to be in good shape at the moment. Maccabi has sacked coach Goodes just the other day, so they players could have a positive reaction. I like having a player of Randle’s quality on my fantasy team, especially since Maccabi is playing in Tel Aviv. Randle is underpriced for only 45.8 credits. Low price for such a player in front of a home game.
Ognjen Kuzmic: Probably not many people will be going for him, but I like his role on the team at the moment. Raduljica has been struggling to a little bit lately, especially with foul trouble. Kuzmic had a 17 PIR game in Poland last week and a 21 PIR game in the Greek championship. If Raduljica should continue with his foul making, Kuzmic could get even more playing time. This could be Kuzmic’s moment.
Bangaly Fofana: I was thinking about recommending Strasbourg’s other big man – Vladimir Golubovic for this round, but then I remembered Fofana’s solid performance against Khimki. I like having the big man that are going up against Real Madrid (just look at John Bryant last round) and I don’t think you can go wrong with either Golubovic or Fofana. Golubovic has the experience and the size to dominate the paint against Real, but since I’m going cheap this week, my choice is Fofana. Golubovic is an excellent choice if you have 57.7 credits to spend, but for only 20.3 you can get Bangaly Fofana. I’m hoping to get some rebounds and dunks from this athletic French center.
Conclusion
This was the list of my Fantasy Euroleague Challenge tips week 5. Do you agree with the players mentioned above? Please let me know in the comments below and don’t hesitate to share if you find the article to be helpful.