These are our EuroLeague Fantasy Round 3 tips. The optimal lineup leans heavily on Panathinaikos at home to Maccabi. It also makes one captaincy call that runs against what some analysts are saying. Our 100-credit team projects 178.4 points and uses every credit. The cheapest part of the roster is where the real edge sits.
Injuries shape everything this round. Panathinaikos are without Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Juancho Hernangomez and Moustapha Fall. That opens minutes for players priced like end-of-bench filler. Olympiacos have no Nikola Milutinov, and Barcelona are missing Josh Nebo.
EuroLeague Fantasy Round 3 tips: the optimal 100-credit team
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Turn | Credits | Proj | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Oturu | C | HTA | RMB | 1 | 14.6 | 25.1 | Captain |
| Kevin Punter | G | BAR | BJK | 2 | 14.5 | 25.2 | Sixth man |
| Sylvain Francisco | G | PAO | MTA | 2 | 15.3 | 22.0 | Starter |
| Donta Hall | C | OLY | VIR | 1 | 10.7 | 19.5 | Starter |
| Aj Lawson | G | KBA | MIL | 2 | 9.2 | 14.6 | Bench |
| Nikos Rogkavopoulos | F | PAO | MTA | 2 | 5.0 | 13.4 | Bench |
| Eleftherios Mantzoukas | F | PAO | MTA | 2 | 5.4 | 12.9 | Bench |
| David Lighty | F | ASV | VBC | 2 | 5.4 | 11.1 | Bench |
| Tommaso Baldasso | G | VIR | OLY | 1 | 4.4 | 7.3 | Starter |
| Leopold Cavaliere | F | PBB | ZAL | 1 | 4.8 | 7.0 | Starter |
| Zeljko Obradovic | HC | PAO | MTA | 2 | 10.7 | 14.3 | Coach |
The structure is simple. Three premiums sit at the top: Oturu, Punter and Francisco. Donta Hall is the mid-priced anchor. Then the model fills the remaining spots with players costing 5.4 or less who still project in double figures.
Kevin Punter is the highest projection on the sheet at 25.2. He also tops our rising-price list with 8.4 of room to grow. That makes him a points pick and a value hold at once. Aj Lawson at 9.2 is a quieter piece. Some analysts like him as a replacement for a disappointing Matteo Spagnolo, and our 14.6 projection supports that.
Captain picks and the Oturu question
| Player | Team | Opp | Credits | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Oturu | HTA | RMB | 14.6 | 25.08 |
| Jonas Valanciunas | ZAL | PBB | 16.0 | 23.72 |
| Sasha Vezenkov | OLY | VIR | 18.0 | 22.74 |
| Elijah Bryant | HTA | RMB | 16.0 | 20.36 |
| Donta Hall | OLY | VIR | 10.7 | 19.53 |
This is the biggest disagreement of the round. Our projections make Dan Oturu the top captain at 25.08. The opposing case is real. Some analysts are avoiding him because his rotation has been unpredictable and because Real Madrid’s interior defence is a matchup they generally fade for centres.
We still side with the number, though not blindly. Hapoel’s injury list is long. Amir Coffey, Tyler Ennis and Tamir Blatt are out, while Jacob Toppin and Tomer Ginat are doubtful. A thinner rotation is the likeliest explanation for the size of his projection. If Toppin or Ginat are cleared, Oturu’s ceiling shrinks a little. Treat that as something to monitor rather than a reason to panic. He also shows 8.2 of room to grow on our price model.
Jonas Valanciunas is the safer alternative and the consensus first-day captain. He sits at 23.72 against a Paris side that some analysts believe has no answer for a post presence. The catch is minutes. Azuolas Tubelis has been playing more, and some managers prefer him at 12.0 credits. We do not go that far. Tubelis projects 16.96, which is a fine holding but well short of captain territory.
Sasha Vezenkov at 18.0 is the premium everyone owns, and 22.74 is a strong number. Elijah Bryant at 20.36 is the pivot for managers who want Hapoel exposure without the centre-rotation risk.
Day-two captaincy
Among second-day options, the consensus leans towards TJ Shorts. We project him at 20.58 for 15.3 credits. That is solid, but Sylvain Francisco projects 22.0 at the same price. Our model prefers Francisco. Panathinaikos missing Nunn also means Francisco keeps the ball. Carlik Jones, another popular name, sits at 19.59 for 15.0 against a tougher Bayern test. Mathias Lessort at 20.43 is worth a look too, although he does not help first-day coverage.
Best bargains for Round 3
| Player | Team | Credits | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikos Rogkavopoulos | PAO | 5.0 | 13.43 | 2.69 |
| Eleftherios Mantzoukas | PAO | 5.4 | 12.94 | 2.40 |
| Johannes Voigtmann | BAY | 7.9 | 16.90 | 2.14 |
| Tonye Jekiri | PAR | 9.2 | 19.31 | 2.10 |
| David Lighty | ASV | 5.4 | 11.13 | 2.06 |
Here the projections and the wider conversation line up neatly. Rogkavopoulos and Mantzoukas are the two best value plays in the game. The reasoning from some analysts matches what the numbers show. Obradovic is spreading minutes widely, the system suits shooters, and Maccabi have defended poorly. Rogkavopoulos also carries 7.21 of room to grow on price.
Voigtmann and Jekiri are the two centres that miss the optimal team mainly because of roster construction. Jekiri at 9.2 projects 19.31, almost identical to Donta Hall. His price model shows 8.35 of room to grow. Watch Joffrey Lauvergne’s status: he is listed as doubtful, and his absence would likely firm up Jekiri’s role. Voigtmann at 7.9 is a cheap way into Bayern’s home game.
Further down, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis at 4.3 leads our rising-role list. He is another Panathinaikos name benefiting from the injury crisis.
Where we disagree with the consensus
- Aleksander Balcerowski: Popular as Barcelona’s only real big with Nebo out. We project 12.20 at 8.5, which is fine but not urgent.
- Moses Wright: Some managers are holding him for one last chance against Baskonia. A 15.19 projection at 13.8 credits does not justify the patience.
- Nadir Hifi: Flagged as a future captain gamble. At 13.25 for 14.3 credits, he is overpriced for this round.
- Marc-owen Fodzo Dada and Maodo Lo: Both are liked as cheap punts. They project 7.89 and 2.12. Lighty is the better ASVEL budget piece.
- Johnathan Motley: Everyone agrees here. A 0.63 projection says sell.
Coach: keep Obradovic
| Coach | Team | Credits | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeljko Obradovic | PAO | 10.7 | 14.29 |
| Georgios Bartzokas | OLY | 10.3 | 11.74 |
| Saras Jasikevicius | FBT | 9.4 | 7.09 |
The wider debate is between keeping Obradovic and dropping to Xavier Albert of Valencia to free up credits. Our numbers make this easy. Albert projects 6.13 at 7.6. That saves 3.1 credits but costs roughly eight points against Obradovic. Bartzokas is being passed over as a pricey away pick, yet he is our second-best coach. If you need a cheaper option, he beats Albert comfortably.
Injury watch
Several doubtful tags could move projections before lock:
- Cory Joseph and George Papas (OLY), both doubtful. Their status could affect Jean Montero’s minutes.
- Saben Lee (ZAL), doubtful, with Nigel Williams-Goss already out.
- Shane Larkin (FBT) and Patrick Baldwin Jr (CZV), both doubtful.
- Jacob Toppin and Tomer Ginat (HTA), both doubtful. This is relevant to Oturu and Bryant.
FAQ
Who is the best captain in EuroLeague Fantasy Round 3?
Our projections favour Dan Oturu at 25.08. Jonas Valanciunas at 23.72 is the lower-variance first-day choice if Hapoel’s rotation worries you.
Are the cheap Panathinaikos forwards worth it?
Yes. Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Eleftherios Mantzoukas are the two best value picks in our model. Both cost 5.4 or less and project above 12.9 at home to Maccabi.
Should I switch coach to save credits?
Not this round. Obradovic projects 14.29, more than double Xavier Albert’s 6.13. If you must save, Bartzokas is the better fallback.
Several of these picks hinge on doubtful players. 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.