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PICK YOUR CAPTAIN
Not a Double — a Triple Round!
Round 3 comes in three parts, and so does our Captains Column!
Published: 08/10/2025 15:59
If you thought the season’s opening “devil week” was demanding — full of challenges and traps — things are only getting more complicated from here. Round 3 begins on Wednesday and will unfold in three separate Turns, just to make sure we don’t relax too soon!
To be fair, this will more or less be the rhythm all season long. With the increase in participating teams, the schedule leaves no room to breathe — so it’s a race of endurance, plain and simple.
It’s worth pointing out that, both now at the start and later in the season, there will inevitably be “misses” — players who underperform and cost us points. That doesn’t mean we should panic and immediately sell them or buy others based solely on a single “bad” or “perfect” night. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Before moving on to our new picks, let’s look at what our previous captains did last week. Unlike the excellent Round 1, Round 2 was rather disappointing:
Vezenkov 16, Nunn 5, Rathan-Mayes -2, and Oturu 18.7.
For Round 3, our captain selections will span all three Turns, giving us as many corrective options as possible (if needed, of course).
Turn 1: In Wednesday’s single matchup, we’ll choose a captain between Vasilije Micic (Hapoel) and Jaylen Hoard (Maccabi).
Micic appears to be Itoudis’s primary choice in the backcourt, has started the season strongly, and Maccabi’s frontcourt isn’t exactly intimidating. Despite early doubts about his readiness before the EuroLeague tipped off, the Serbian seems fine for now — serving as Hapoel’s on-court orchestrator while also contributing across other statistical categories.
Hoard, on the other hand, is Maccabi’s best fantasy option at the moment. With several absences on the Israeli team, he clearly becomes the main offensive focal point.
Turn 2: Here we’ll rely on
Trent Forrest (Baskonia) – This year’s Baskonia may remind us of Alba in terms of inconsistency, but the American guard has been their most stable performer and the top fantasy contributor among their backcourt players.
Mike James (Monaco) – “The Natural” has started the season hot. In a backcourt loaded with talent, he’s once again the team’s main reference point. A pure fantasy-type player, facing a Milan frontcourt that so far looks like its Achilles heel. And given his special feelings toward his former club, I’ll gladly take my chances here.
Turn 3: Finally, if we need a big score to close the round, we’ll look toward:
Tyler Dorsey (Olympiacos) – Most managers will understandably go with the obvious choice, Vezenkov. But the reasoning behind Dorsey is solid: heavy playing time (31.5 minutes), current form, consistent fantasy output, and the shortage of guards in Olympiacos’s rotation. Add to that a home game and Dubai’s permissive backcourt defense, and it’s an inviting setup for a high score.
Wade Baldwin (Fenerbahçe) – The American looks more composed and mature this season under Saras. Fener’s absences grant him extra responsibilities, and he’s handled them very well so far. On the other side, Crvena Zvezda is in poor shape, with missing guards and a coach seemingly on his way out (if not gone already). Home court, form, minutes, opponent — all signs point toward Baldwin. I’ll take him!
That’s all for now.
Good luck with your own captain choices — whichever way you go!
To be fair, this will more or less be the rhythm all season long. With the increase in participating teams, the schedule leaves no room to breathe — so it’s a race of endurance, plain and simple.
It’s worth pointing out that, both now at the start and later in the season, there will inevitably be “misses” — players who underperform and cost us points. That doesn’t mean we should panic and immediately sell them or buy others based solely on a single “bad” or “perfect” night. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Before moving on to our new picks, let’s look at what our previous captains did last week. Unlike the excellent Round 1, Round 2 was rather disappointing:
Vezenkov 16, Nunn 5, Rathan-Mayes -2, and Oturu 18.7.
For Round 3, our captain selections will span all three Turns, giving us as many corrective options as possible (if needed, of course).
Turn 1: In Wednesday’s single matchup, we’ll choose a captain between Vasilije Micic (Hapoel) and Jaylen Hoard (Maccabi).
Micic appears to be Itoudis’s primary choice in the backcourt, has started the season strongly, and Maccabi’s frontcourt isn’t exactly intimidating. Despite early doubts about his readiness before the EuroLeague tipped off, the Serbian seems fine for now — serving as Hapoel’s on-court orchestrator while also contributing across other statistical categories.
Hoard, on the other hand, is Maccabi’s best fantasy option at the moment. With several absences on the Israeli team, he clearly becomes the main offensive focal point.
Turn 2: Here we’ll rely on
Trent Forrest (Baskonia) – This year’s Baskonia may remind us of Alba in terms of inconsistency, but the American guard has been their most stable performer and the top fantasy contributor among their backcourt players.
Mike James (Monaco) – “The Natural” has started the season hot. In a backcourt loaded with talent, he’s once again the team’s main reference point. A pure fantasy-type player, facing a Milan frontcourt that so far looks like its Achilles heel. And given his special feelings toward his former club, I’ll gladly take my chances here.
Turn 3: Finally, if we need a big score to close the round, we’ll look toward:
Tyler Dorsey (Olympiacos) – Most managers will understandably go with the obvious choice, Vezenkov. But the reasoning behind Dorsey is solid: heavy playing time (31.5 minutes), current form, consistent fantasy output, and the shortage of guards in Olympiacos’s rotation. Add to that a home game and Dubai’s permissive backcourt defense, and it’s an inviting setup for a high score.
Wade Baldwin (Fenerbahçe) – The American looks more composed and mature this season under Saras. Fener’s absences grant him extra responsibilities, and he’s handled them very well so far. On the other side, Crvena Zvezda is in poor shape, with missing guards and a coach seemingly on his way out (if not gone already). Home court, form, minutes, opponent — all signs point toward Baldwin. I’ll take him!
That’s all for now.
Good luck with your own captain choices — whichever way you go!
