EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge co-host Frankie Sachs shares his tips for this week's games
EuroLeague Fantasy tips, Round 33: Jewels in the bargain basement
Fantasy Challenge
4 Mins read
The penultimate week of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season is upon us and EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge managers everywhere are seeking ways to build the perfect roster. Superstars are always attractive, but when you load up, you are left needing to find inexpensive players to round out the roster. This week I have done some digging to find five players all priced at less than 5.5 credits who could make useful contributions this week – and in some cases beyond.
Elias Harris, FC Bayern Munich (5.3 credits)
It's taken a minute for the center situation to shake out at Bayern following the injury to Devin Booker. The big beneficiary as of late has been Elias Harris. Between Rounds 29 and 32, he has averaged 11.5 points on 73.9% two-point shooting and 3.0 rebounds for a PIR of 12.8 in 16:15 minutes per game. That’s outstanding production at his price point. The veteran big man could be due for another strong effort this week against Maccabi, which has had some troubles of its own with frontcourt injuries.
Joel Parra, FC Barcelona (5.3 credits)
Over the previous six rounds, Joel Parra's role has grown for Barcelona – and that started before the injury to Chimazie Metu. The power forward has played at least 20 minutes in four of the last six games after not doing so at all in the first 26 rounds. He comes off a 9-point, 7-rebound showing against Milan in Round 32 for a PIR of 12 and then had 11 points and 5 boards for a PIR of 11 in the ACB. Parra may not post MVP-like numbers, but for solid production in a Wednesday game at this price, he is a shrewd investment.
Stefano Tonut, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (4.8 credits)
Injuries have hit the Milan backcourt, which makes it even more likely that Stefano Tonut will continue to get opportunities that few players at his price will see. He played 25 minutes in Round 32 and notched a PIR of 11 for the second time in three games – after only cracking double figures once before that. The main drawback to Tonut is that Milan plays on Turn 3, so you may not want to gamble on him as a starter, but even having nice contributions on the bench can be very useful.
Jake Cohen, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (4.7 credits)
Maccabi has been without Jaylen Hoard and Jasiel Rivero for weeks and Trevion Williams missed Friday's game. Jake Cohen stepped into the void last week with two of his best games all season. The 34-year-old posted 15 points and 6 boards for a PIR of 19 in Round 30 against the champs and followed that up with 10 points and a PIR of 7 against Efes. Check out how Maccabi lines up in the Israeli League on Monday night to see if Williams or Hoard return and then follow that up with the injury report on Wednesday. If it looks like Maccabi is shorthanded up front again, Cohen could – and should – be your man.
Dame Sarr, FC Barcelona (4.5 credits)
There is no better pickup in the EuroLeague Fantasy Challenge right now than Dame Sarr. Coach Penarroya is giving the young man burn and he has produced in his limited games as a starter, while only costing 4.5 credits. Sarr posted 13 points, 3 assists and 2 steals for a PIR of 16 against Milan in Round 32 and had 7 points in 20 minutes over the weekend against Joventut Badalona. The value for the price – plus the upside of an 18-year-old – makes Sarr the man of the moment.