Our EuroLeague DFS picks for the FanTeam Thursday Shootout on 8 October start with one game: VAL against HAT, the highest total on the board by seven points. Six games, a 77-credit budget and a cheap tier that is unusually deep. That combination lets you pay up at guard without starving the rest of the roster.
Games and pace
The game lines tell you where the possessions and points should be.
- VAL vs HAT (181.5): The shootout of the night. Team totals of 91.5 and 90.5 and near-even odds (1.78 vs 2.22) point to a competitive game with plenty of scoring on both sides. This is the priority stack.
- RMD vs PAR (174.5): RMD are 1.23 favourites with a 91.5 team total. PAR sit at 82.5. Lots of points, but a lopsided price adds blowout risk.
- MAC vs EAM (171.5): Close spread, 1.65 vs 2.42, and healthy totals of 87.5 and 84.5. A good secondary target.
- BAY vs VIB (170.5) and DBC vs CZV (167.5): Clear home favourites in both. Mid-range totals.
- PAO vs FNB (162.5): The lowest total on the slate. FNB’s implied 79.5 points is the weakest team number of the night, and it shapes our fades.
Top EuroLeague DFS picks tonight
Note on codes: the player pool lists some teams differently from the game lines (VBC/HTA for VAL/HAT, RMB for RMD, FBT for FNB, MIL for EAM, MTA for MAC, VIR for VIB). The matchups line up by opponent.
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Ceiling | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Shorts | PG | VBC | HTA | 14.6 | 30.5 | 39.3 | 2.1 |
| Elijah Bryant | SG | HTA | VBC | 15.0 | 27.7 | 33.4 | 1.8 |
| Theo Maledon | PG | RMB | PAR | 13.5 | 26.9 | 31.8 | 2.0 |
| Carlik Jones | PG | PAR | RMB | 14.3 | 26.6 | 32.3 | 1.9 |
| Sylvain Francisco | PG | PAO | FBT | 14.8 | 25.9 | 29.5 | 1.8 |
| Wade Baldwin | PG | FBT | PAO | 13.3 | 25.9 | 28.0 | 1.9 |
| Moses Wright | C | MIL | MTA | 11.5 | 25.2 | 30.9 | 2.2 |
| Vasilije Micic | PG | HTA | VBC | 10.6 | 24.7 | 28.6 | 2.3 |
T.J. Shorts
The top projection on the slate at 30.5 and the biggest ceiling at 39.3. He plays in the 181.5-total game and still clears 2.0x at 14.6. Expensive, but the price is earned. He fits cash and tournaments.
Vasilije Micic
The best value among the premium names. At 10.6 he projects for 24.7, a 2.3x return, from the other side of that same high-total game. Pairing him with Shorts costs 25.2 credits and gives you two of the slate’s best per-credit plays from the game we want most.
Moses Wright
The only centre in our top tier and a 2.2x return at 11.5. MAC vs EAM is close on the odds and sits at 171.5, so the game script should hold up. A 30.9 ceiling makes him viable in any format.
The rest of the tier
Theo Maledon hits 2.0x exactly in a game where RMD carry a 91.5 team total. Elijah Bryant has strong raw numbers but at 15.0 he only returns 1.8x, which makes him a tournament stacking piece rather than a cash lock. Carlik Jones (1.9x) projects well for a 4.75 underdog, though that price carries blowout risk. Francisco and Baldwin both land at 25.9 in the slate’s lowest-total game. Baldwin is the cheaper route at 13.3.
Value plays
This is where the slate opens up. Every name below clears the 2.5x tournament threshold.
| Player | Pos | Team | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yam Madar | PG | MTA | 6.8 | 22.5 | 3.3 |
| Jason Burnell | PF | MIL | 5.5 | 17.4 | 3.2 |
| Trent Frazier | PG | VIR | 6.2 | 17.8 | 2.9 |
| Eleftherios Mantzoukas | SF | PAO | 7.0 | 19.9 | 2.8 |
| Bonzie Colson | SF | MTA | 6.0 | 16.9 | 2.8 |
| Joffrey Lauvergne | C | PAR | 4.6 | 12.4 | 2.7 |
| RJ Cole | PG | MIL | 5.2 | 13.5 | 2.6 |
Yam Madar is the play of the night on price. A 22.5 projection at 6.8 is close to premium output at a third of the cost, and MAC are home favourites with an 87.5 team total.
The MAC vs EAM game is a value hub. Madar and Colson on one side, Burnell and Cole on the other, plus Wright up top. With a close spread and a 171.5 total, a mini-stack here is a sensible way to save salary without leaving a good game.
Mantzoukas gives you 19.9 at 7.0 despite the low PAO total. Lauvergne at 4.6 is the cheapest useful centre in the pool and the cleanest way to free up credits for Shorts.
Fades
These are good players who are badly priced tonight. The common thread is the PAO vs FNB game and its 162.5 total.
| Player | Team | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shane Larkin | FBT | 11.5 | 9.8 | 0.9 |
| Trent Forrest | FBT | 10.5 | 11.1 | 1.1 |
| Will Clyburn | FBT | 11.3 | 15.1 | 1.3 |
| Guerschon Yabusele | PAO | 12.5 | 17.7 | 1.4 |
FNB are 2.6 underdogs with an implied 79.5 points. Our projections push most of that production toward Wade Baldwin, which leaves Larkin, Forrest and Clyburn priced well above what they are expected to return. Larkin under 1.0x at 11.5 is the starkest example.
Yabusele costs 12.5 for 17.7 projected points. Mantzoukas, from the same team, projects 19.9 at 7.0. That comparison makes the decision for you.
Building around 77 credits
Start with Shorts and Micic from VAL vs HAT, then fill with Madar, Burnell and Lauvergne. That core leans on the best game and the best value without forcing you into low-return mid-priced names. In tournaments, add Bryant or Maledon to chase ceiling. In cash, Wright is the steadier upgrade.
FAQ
Which game should I stack on the Thursday Shootout?
VAL vs HAT. It has a 181.5 total, team totals above 90 on both sides and close odds, which points to a competitive, high-scoring game.
Who is the best value play on 8 October?
Yam Madar. He projects for 22.5 points at 6.8 credits, a 3.3x return, the highest on the slate.
Why fade the Fenerbahce names?
Their game has the lowest total of the night and FNB’s implied 79.5 points is the weakest team number. Larkin, Forrest and Clyburn all project below 1.5x at their prices.
Check confirmed lineups and injury news before lock, as late changes can shift these projections.
For the always-updated slate numbers and full player stats: see our EuroLeague DFS Projections page. Playing the official game? Check our EuroLeague Fantasy projections.