Updated 07 October 2026, 17:05 — refreshed with the latest betting lines and projections.
Round 4 is the first three-turn round of the season: one game in turn one, then a crowded middle turn, then a smaller closing turn. That changes how you build. Our EuroLeague Fantasy Round 4 tips start from the projections. They point to a team that spends heavily at the top, saves at centre and coach, and lines up a captain option in every turn.
The headline number is 155.2 projected points for 99.8 of 100 credits. Here is how we get there, and where we part ways with the wider conversation.
Our optimal team for EuroLeague Fantasy Round 4 tips
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Turn | Credits | Proj | Slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sasha Vezenkov | F | OLY | EFS | 3 | 18.1 | 25.5 | Sixth man |
| Elijah Bryant | G | HTA | VBC | 2 | 17.1 | 23.4 | Starter |
| Theo Maledon | G | RMB | PAR | 2 | 11.2 | 22.5 | Bench |
| Aliou Diarra | C | VIR | BAY | 2 | 8.2 | 17.3 | Starter |
| Jae Crowder | F | ASV | PBB | 1 | 9.9 | 14.2 | Captain |
| Scottie Wilbekin | G | BJK | KBA | 3 | 8.5 | 13.9 | Bench |
| Aleksander Balcerowski | C | BAR | ZAL | 3 | 8.5 | 13.7 | Bench |
| Leopold Cavaliere | F | PBB | ASV | 1 | 5.0 | 8.6 | Starter |
| Marc-owen Fodzo Dada | G | ASV | PBB | 1 | 4.9 | 5.6 | Starter |
| Arijan Lakic | F | PAR | RMB | 2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | Bench |
| Anton Gavel | HC | BAY | VIR | 2 | 4.3 | 8.1 | Coach |
The spine is simple. Vezenkov at 25.5 and Bryant at 23.4 are the two highest projections in the build, and every serious team we reviewed in our cross-check owns both. Vezenkov is the natural turn-three anchor. Bryant sits in turn two and fills the stat sheet without needing efficient shooting, which is exactly what you want from a premium.
Maledon is the engine of the whole structure. At 11.2 credits he projects 22.5, nearly level with Bryant for six fewer credits. Real Madrid host Partizan after three straight defeats, and the pressure on them to win is a recurring theme in the wider analysis. The one caveat, raised by some analysts and worth respecting, is his rotation spot behind Campazzo and Partizan’s aggressive ball pressure.
Turn one is a single game, ASVEL against Paris, and we stack it: Crowder, Fodzo Dada and Cavaliere. That gives you three bodies and a captain decision before anyone else has played.
Captain picks for the three turns
Our captain table below is a turn-one list, since every name plays in ASVEL against Paris. That is where the captaincy decision first bites.
| Player | Team | Opp | Credits | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nadir Hifi | PBB | ASV | 14.4 | 16.3 |
| Patty Mills | ASV | PBB | 12.9 | 15.23 |
| Jae Crowder | ASV | PBB | 9.9 | 14.18 |
| Jared Rhoden | PBB | ASV | 9.2 | 13.14 |
| Allan Dokossi | PBB | ASV | 8.1 | 11.58 |
Hifi has the highest turn-one projection, but our optimal team does not carry him. The broader view agrees: he is the best pure T1 captain, yet nobody wants him beyond this round, so there is no need to force a transfer. Crowder is the cheaper route. His minutes and usage look like a premium’s, and his poor shooting so far looks due to correct. He is not a lock, though, and a turn-one captain should not be picked simply to fill a slot.
The practical plan: captain Crowder in turn one only if he starts hot, otherwise roll on to Maledon or Bryant in turn two, and keep Vezenkov as the turn-three fallback. Some analysts prefer Bryant as the safer turn-two armband; our projections have Bryant and Maledon close enough that ownership and form can break the tie.
Best bargains
| Player | Team | Credits | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliou Diarra | VIR | 8.2 | 17.28 | 2.11 |
| Theo Maledon | RMB | 11.2 | 22.46 | 2.01 |
| Leopold Cavaliere | PBB | 5.0 | 8.57 | 1.71 |
| Scottie Wilbekin | BJK | 8.5 | 13.93 | 1.64 |
| Aleksander Balcerowski | BAR | 8.5 | 13.72 | 1.61 |
Diarra is the best value in the game this week. There is simply no comparable cheap centre, he rebounds hard, and the consensus has bought him in numbers. Be prepared for the occasional quiet night, but at 8.2 credits the risk is cheap.
Wilbekin is the budget guard we would pick. He leads Besiktas in usage and minutes and draws a soft Baskonia matchup. A teammate and a Baskonia guard both get attention elsewhere, but Wilbekin is cheaper than both and we see no reason to pay up.
Diarra and Maledon also top our rising-price list, with room to grow of 7.51 and 9.22. Buying before the market catches up is a small bonus on top of the points.
Where we disagree with the consensus
Balcerowski: our projection holds firm
This is the sharpest split of the round. Our model keeps Balcerowski in the optimal team at 13.7 projected points. Much of the wider analysis is moving him on: he is foul-prone, a weak rebounder, and he faces Valanciunas. We take those concerns seriously. But Barcelona’s frontcourt is thin, with Nebo, Kone and Makoundou all listed out, and that should protect his minutes. The broader view itself concedes owners can keep him. We would go further and say he is worth starting.
The coach slot: cheap now, costly later
Gavel at 4.3 credits is how our build fits Vezenkov, Bryant and Maledon together. The counter-argument is strategic: cheap coaches save credits this week but can force a double transfer to get back to a pricier coach later. The consensus favourite is Bartzokas, with Olympiacos at home to an Efes side without Mike James.
| Coach | Team | Credits | Proj |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgios Bartzokas | OLY | 9.9 | 13.47 |
| Pedro Martinez | RMB | 8.1 | 11.74 |
| Xavi Pascual | DUB | 7.9 | 9.93 |
Bartzokas projects higher, but the extra credits have to come from somewhere. For a single round, Gavel is the efficient answer. If you are planning several weeks ahead, the crowd’s logic is sound.
Turn-one filler versus the crowd’s cheap guards
Fodzo Dada projects just 5.6. He earns his place for turn-one structure, not output. Some analysts like a steadier Baskonia guard as their cheap floor play, and that is a reasonable choice if you do not care about the early captain. Keep an eye on Nathan Sestina too: he tops our rising-role list with a trend of 6.5 and plays in the same turn-one game.
Tubelis: essential, if he plays
The wider view treats Tubelis as close to mandatory, and he sits on our rising-price list at 12.5 credits. He does not make our optimal team. There are also late, unconfirmed suggestions he could miss out. Treat that as something to monitor, not a fact, and do not build around him until his status is clear.
Injuries to monitor
- Jean Montero (OLY) is listed as doubtful.
- Tyty Washington (ASV) is doubtful, which could shift turn-one usage toward Mills and Crowder.
- Mike James (EFS) is out, opening roles for Loyd and Strazel.
- Johnathan Motley (CZV) is doubtful.
- Kendrick Nunn and Kostas Sloukas (PAO) are out, with Juancho Hernangomez doubtful.
FAQ
Who should I captain in Round 4?
Crowder is our turn-one option if your team is built like ours, with Hifi the highest turn-one projection at 16.3. If turn one disappoints, move the armband to Maledon or Bryant in turn two, with Vezenkov as the turn-three safety net.
Is Maledon worth the transfer?
Yes. He projects 22.5 at 11.2 credits and leads our room-to-grow list. The only real risk is rotation, so confirm his role before the round locks.
Should I pay up for Bartzokas?
He is the best coach projection at 13.47. If you want a coach to hold for several rounds, he is the cleaner choice. For a pure one-round build, Gavel frees the credits that make the rest of this team work.
As always, check the final injury news before the round locks. A three-turn week leaves plenty of room for late changes, and a single doubtful tag can reshape your captaincy plan.
For always-updated projections, the optimal team for any budget, and full player stats: see our EuroLeague Fantasy Tips & Projections page.