By Lefteris Moutis// moutis@eurohoops.net
We wish you a good season! Euroleague starts and the fantasy challenge is going to be a weekly habit for every basketball fan who respects himself. Eurohoops’ league is already created (name: Eurohoops league, password: eurohoops) and you can add your teams and join us. If you want to follow Aljosa Rijavec’s steps do your best to be the next winner, win our prize and above all our admiration and respect.
As ancient Greeks used to say: “Beggining is the half of everything”. So, it’s too important to pick good players during the first weeks because if you make the right choice you will have the advantage both in points and credits. And here are the players that we propose to you. We picked ten for our “Eurohoops team” but there are of course many other good combinations. For example in point guards, Planinic is always an excellent choice, McCalebb and Hickman can explode in any given game and also, Aroyyo and Dentmon deserve their credits.
The key to a succesfull first week is choosing a steal in the shooting guards/small forwards category. There are many relatively cheap players who can make the difference. Apart from Langford, Schilb, Hackett and Landesberg, good choices are Bogdanovic, Smith among the most expensive ones and Curry, Delaney, Lojeski in the mid level of prices.
Finally, it’s a real challenge to find steady big guys. The prices are too high and it’s hard to pick even one of Tomic, Khryapa, James or Kleiza and feel completely safe. After them you can choose, Dunston, Hamilton, Bryant or Mavrokefalidis.
Enjoy fantasy and best of luck!
Point Guards
Zack Wright 49 credits
It’s his first Euroleague season after six years in Europe but who cares? He’s a must choice! He does everything on the court and Bamberg depends on him.
Sergei Bykov 22 credits
He belongs either to the mistakes or the hidden secrets of this season’s fantasy. How can you lose the chance to pick a starter (30 mpg so far) with 14.5 ppg and 5.5 asp in Lokomotiv?
Shooting Guards/Small Forwards
Keith Langford 68 credits
Any game without double digit ranking for him is a big failure. Banchi may try to change his game but fantasy players want him to keep “bombing” the opponents.
Daniel Hackett 62 credits
He’s Siena’s leader. And in the first game of the season usually those kind of guys shine. Hackett scores and passes in a way that offers many points…
Blake Schilb 56 credits
He was too popular among the fantasy players last season and it’s obvious that he’s member of too many teams also this year. It’s expected that he will continue to score, pass and get rebounds with Red Star like with Chalon.
Sylven Landesberg 20 credits
It’s our first risk. In his second season in Tel Aviv he has more confidence and Blatt trusts him more. He can make it even in Vitoria.
Power Forwards/Centers
Linas Kleiza 71 credits
Euroleague fans will have the chance to enjoy his pure talent again and he’s expected to be among the stars of the fantasy challenge.
Alexis Ajinca 54 credits
Every season there is a “trend” and this year it’s the French center. Few fantasy players haven’t picked him yet. He has 13.7 ppg and 7 rpg so far in the season with Strasbourg, so it seems he deserves absolutely to spend 54 credits for him.
Richard Hendrix 51 credits
A player with his quality costs only 51 credits in the start of the season. It’s a gift and we will take it. He will shine soon.
Othello Hunter 45 credits
Siena risks with a player who changed seven teams the last four years without Euroleague or even Eurocup experience. But anywhere he played he had excellent numbers. And against Galatasaray he can make it.