These EuroLeague Fantasy Round 2 tips start with a clear structure. Our model builds around Carlik Jones as captain, pays up for two elite centers, and fills the back end with cheap Panathinaikos and ASVEL rotation players. The optimal 100-credit lineup projects 198.1 points and uses 99.7 credits. That leaves almost nothing on the table.
The injury list shapes everything this week. Panathinaikos are without Kendrick Nunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Kostas Sloukas and Moustapha Fall. Those absences explain why so many cheap green jerseys show up in our value rankings.
The Optimal Team for EuroLeague Fantasy Round 2 Tips
Here is the lineup our projections rate highest under a 100-credit budget.
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Turn | Credits | Proj | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlik Jones | G | PAR | PBB | 1 | 14.5 | 29.4 | Captain |
| Mathias Lessort | C | PAO | ASV | 2 | 15.0 | 27.2 | Sixth man |
| Dan Oturu | C | HTA | CZV | 1 | 14.9 | 26.3 | Starter |
| Jae Crowder | F | ASV | PAO | 2 | 10.2 | 21.8 | Starter |
| Braxton Key | F | FBT | BAY | 1 | 8.6 | 18.5 | Starter |
| Yam Madar | G | MTA | BJK | 2 | 9.1 | 16.1 | Bench |
| Marc-owen Fodzo Dada | G | ASV | PAO | 2 | 5.3 | 14.2 | Bench |
| Konstantinos Mitoglou | F | PAO | ASV | 2 | 5.9 | 13.4 | Bench |
| Eleftherios Mantzoukas | F | PAO | ASV | 2 | 4.8 | 12.4 | Bench |
| Dario Brizuela | G | BAR | DUB | 1 | 6.8 | 12.3 | Starter |
| Maxime Lefevre | HC | PBB | PAR | 1 | 4.6 | 3.2 | Coach |
Five of the eleven slots come from one game: Panathinaikos against ASVEL. That is a deliberate concentration, and it carries real correlation risk. If that game turns slow and ugly, a big chunk of the lineup goes with it. The upside is that injuries on both sides have funnelled minutes to players priced as fillers.
Crowder is the one spot where caution is reasonable. Some analysts flag the Panathinaikos defence and their forward depth as a problem for him. Our 21.8 projection is strong for 10.2 credits, but Panathinaikos’ injuries mean that “deep forward group” is thinner than usual this week. We lean towards the numbers.
Captain Picks
| Player | Team | Opp | Credits | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlik Jones | PAR | PBB | 14.5 | 29.4 |
| Dan Oturu | HTA | CZV | 14.9 | 26.25 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | ZAL | OLY | 15.9 | 25.29 |
| TJ Shorts | VBC | KBA | 15.1 | 21.45 |
| Chris Jones | CZV | HTA | 12.6 | 21.07 |
Carlik Jones is our captain, and it isn’t especially close. He also tops our rising-price list with 12.23 of room to grow, which makes him a sound hold beyond this week.
This is where we split from the wider consensus. Some analysts see Jones as a keep for existing owners but point new buyers towards TJ Shorts. Their argument: Shorts is the clear first option in Valencia’s system. We don’t dispute his role. Our model simply has him eight points behind Jones this round, at almost the same price. For a one-round decision, that gap is too large to ignore.
Mathias Lessort isn’t in the captain table, but he is the natural second-turn alternative. He projects 27.2 in a home game against ASVEL, and the research consensus agrees he is a T2 captain option. If you are waiting on the late games, he is the pick.
Valanciunas is the other interesting case. He looked dominant in his opener, but Olympiacos is a tough matchup. Our 25.29 projection still ranks him third among captains, so we are less worried than some. Keep an eye on Olympiacos’ frontcourt: Nikola Milutinov is listed as doubtful, which could change how that paint battle plays out.
One notable absence from our top five is Sasha Vezenkov. Some managers are making him an automatic captain regardless of the Zalgiris trip. Our projections don’t support that this week. Holding him for the long term is a separate debate, since he is hard to buy back later. As a Round 2 armband choice, though, the numbers point elsewhere.
Best Bargains
| Player | Team | Credits | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-owen Fodzo Dada | ASV | 5.3 | 14.19 | 2.68 |
| Eleftherios Mantzoukas | PAO | 4.8 | 12.36 | 2.57 |
| Konstantinos Mitoglou | PAO | 5.9 | 13.41 | 2.27 |
| Nobel Boungou-colo | PBB | 5.6 | 12.43 | 2.22 |
| Braxton Key | FBT | 8.6 | 18.53 | 2.15 |
On the cheap end, our model and the research line up almost perfectly. Fodzo Dada produced as a filler in his opener, and owners are being told to hold. Mantzoukas has earned his coach’s trust with minutes. Mitoglou benefits directly from the Panathinaikos absences. Nikos Rogkavopoulos is also listed as doubtful, which could push even more frontcourt minutes their way.
Braxton Key is the best mid-priced piece. He plays big minutes and fills the stat sheet, and some analysts see him as a full-season hold. There is also a situation to monitor at Fenerbahce: Shane Larkin and Marcus Bingham are both listed as doubtful. If either sits, Key’s role could grow further.
Boungou-colo is the one bargain outside our lineup. He faces Partizan, which is also the matchup we are targeting with Jones. He is a reasonable pivot if you want to diversify away from the Panathinaikos-ASVEL stack.
Where Our Model Disagrees
Dario Brizuela
This is the clearest tension of the week. Our optimal team starts Brizuela at 6.8 credits with a 12.3 projection. Some analysts are avoiding him, noting that he tends to play better at home and Barcelona travel to Dubai. That is a fair concern. But Dubai have Dwayne Bacon, Dzanan Musa and Mam Jaiteh all listed as doubtful. A weakened opponent helps offset the road trip. We keep him, while accepting he is the lineup’s softest spot.
Coaches
Our coach projections are flat this week. Pablo Laso, Oded Kattash and Paolo Galbiati all sit at 3.22, and Lefevre projects 3.2. With so little separation, paying up for a coach costs you elsewhere. Some analysts prefer established names for a secure win, and they are wary of Kattash because Maccabi have been unpredictable. We see little reason to spend. Lefevre or Galbiati at 4.6 credits frees money for players.
Rising roles worth tracking
- Evan Fournier (OLY, 9.3 credits) leads our role-trend list at 14.39. Milutinov’s doubtful status could open more usage for him.
- Yam Madar (MTA, 9.1) is at 13.6. Some analysts slightly prefer him among Maccabi guards because his playmaking should protect his role. Jimmy Clark III is listed as doubtful, which only helps.
- Alec Peters (MIL, 12.0) is at 13.08. The case for holding him is a good Bologna matchup. Some analysts worry that his free-throw-heavy scoring may not last, and we agree it is worth watching.
- Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (PAO, 4.0) is at 12.88. He is the cheapest way into the Panathinaikos minutes shake-up.
- Elie Okobo (DUB, 12.2) is at 10.4. He is more of a Round 3 target than a Round 2 buy, given a run of home games that includes a double game week.
Barcelona and Zalgiris news
Reports of injuries to Barcelona’s Josh Nebo and Zalgiris’ Nigel Williams-Goss are circulating. Neither appears on our official status list, so treat both as things to monitor, not confirmed absences. What is confirmed: Barcelona are without Tosan Evbuomwan and Yoan Makoundou, and Saben Lee is doubtful for Zalgiris.
FAQ
Who is the best captain for EuroLeague Fantasy Round 2?
Carlik Jones. He projects 29.4 against PBB, the highest of any player. Lessort, at 27.2, is the strongest second-turn alternative.
Is it risky to stack Panathinaikos and ASVEL players?
Yes. Five of our eleven slots depend on one game. The value is real because of the Panathinaikos injuries, but spreading exposure with a player like Boungou-colo is a sensible hedge.
Should I pay up for a big-name coach?
Not this week. Our top coach projections are effectively level, so a 4.6-credit option like Lefevre or Galbiati makes more sense than spending on a premium name.
Several players in this article carry doubtful tags, including Larkin, Bingham, Milutinov and Clark. Check the latest injury news before the round locks.
For always-updated projections, the optimal team for any budget, and full player stats: see our EuroLeague Fantasy Tips & Projections page.