The packed two-round week gave us great insight to the ongoings of many teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. With less time between games in Rounds 10 and 11, it easier to see which teams were on the rise or and which were falling into slump. Likewise, one could see which players had turned corners after early-season struggles.
For the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge, the goal is to find players on the rise for whatever reason. If the reason is permanent, such as a coaching change leading to a bigger role, a return from injury or even a return to form after a slump, that’s the best type of player to add because the increase in production may be permanent. Even so, if an injury to another player opens a door to more playing time and production, that should not be overlooked either, even if the bump has a ceiling on it.
Among the recommendations this week are both players who may be on the rise for good and those taking advantage short term, but all five come off strong performances and seem poised to repeat with big games in Round 12.
Without further ado, here are some players to think about choosing in EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge for Round 12 of the regular season.
Wade Baldwin IV, Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (10.7 credits) – After a fabulous season with FC Bayern Munich – which included two strong games against Real Madrid – Baldwin got off to a rocky start this season with Baskonia. The team’s recent coaching change seems to have led to more minutes and a bigger role for an invigorated Baldwin.
Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul (9.7 credits) – The sometimes-overlooked player in Efes’s star-studded backcourt trio, Beaubois forced everyone to pay attention with two of the best games of his career during the two-round week. First he set career-highs in scoring (29 points) and PIR (33) against Olympiacos and then he delivered a career-best 7 assist versus Monaco with a PIR of 24. He’s in peak form.
Kyle Hines, AX Armani Exchange Milan (12.1 credits) – The veteran big man is coming off his best outing since opening night with 12 points, 8 rebounds and a PIR of 17 in a Round 11 loss at Zenit St Petersburg. Not only is Hines in form, but Milan has roughly 18 minutes of playing to fill due to Dinos Mitoglou’s injury, some of which must go to Hines.
Nicola Laprovittola, FC Barcelona (8.5 points) – After Barcelona’s starting point guard Nick Calathes was hurt in Round 10, Laprovittola was called on to start in Round 11 and delivered a masterpiece; he scored a career-high 25 points on 7-of-12 three-point shooting and grabbed 7 rebounds for a PIR of 28 at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne. This week Barca, faces Zalgiris Kaunas, which has allowed opponents the highest average PIR in the league.
Edgaras Ulanovas, Zalgiris Kaunas (6.8 credits) – Just two seasons ago Ulanovas was considered one of the toughest forwards in the league and a core piece of the Zalgiris team that reached back-to-back playoff appearances. Though he struggled early this season in his return home after a season with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Ulanovas appeared to be his best self last week with PIRs of 23 and 21. If he keeps it up, Ulanovas is a bargain at his current price.
