Here comes Round 22 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season with a lot of excitement and good games. UNICS Kazan hosts FC Barcelona in a rematch of arguably one of the most exciting games in EuroLeague’s recent history. Barely a few weeks ago, Barcelona rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat UNICS 111-109 in overtime. Anything close to that should be another instant classic. Two Final Four teams from last season, CSKA Moscow and AX Armani Exchange Milan, go against each other in the Russian capital. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul takes on Zalgiris Kaunas in a rematch of their 2018 EuroLeague Semifinal. Anadolu Efes Istanbul hosts Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv welcomes Olympiacos Piraeus, Real Madrid visits ALBA Berlin… there are just great games everywhere this week.
With all 10 games expected to take place as of the moment, there are a lot of options in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, too. All teams are still fighting to get to the playoffs. And since we are past the regular season’s halfway mark, the tie-break difference is critical at this point. The closer your opponent is in the standings, the more important the tie-break difference should be. All of that has an impact on EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge as these games are played point by point, possession by possession.
We have several recommendations before this round. A veteran coming off a career-best effort, a physical player ready to excel against one of his former teams, his potential opponent in this game, a do-it-all forward replacing a superstar, and a playmaker enjoying a new, extended role. There is a lot to choose from before Round 22.
Daniel Hackett, CSKA Moscow (8.8 credits) – The man of the moment. Hackett led CSKA to a 90-83 win against ASVEL with 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a career-high PIR of 38. Hackett also had an excellent performance in Round 20 against Panathinaikos: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and a PIR of 26. He has stepped up big in 2022!
Wade Baldwin, Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (10.9 credits) – Baldwin should be really motivated against his former team. He already had a huge performance against Bayern in Round 17: 30 points, 6 rebounds and a PIR of 33. It was a season-changing game for Baldwin, who has been posting really solid numbers ever since.
Corey Walden, FC Bayern Munich (9.6 credits) – Of course, Baldwin wants to have another monster game against Bayern, but Walden will be trying to stop him. Walden comes off a sensational performance against Monaco, getting 26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and a PIR of 34 in a losing effort. Expect him to keep doing well.
Pierria Henry, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (11.3 credits) – It was Fenerbahce’s first game without Jan Vesely and Nando De Colo, and Pierria Henry lived up to the expectations. Henry had 11 points, 8 assists and a PIR of 19 against Olympiacos, stopping the Reds’ three-game winning streak. Henry is ready to keep leading Fenerbahce from now on.
Rolands Smits, FC Barcelona (5.7 credits) – Nikola Mirotic is set to miss Barcelona’s game against UNICS due to COVID-19. It is always difficult to replace a player that leads the EuroLeague in scoring and PIR. All players must step up but Smits is more likely to take his spot in the starting lineup. And with extended playing time, he can have a big night.
