3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 10/17/17

Kyrie Irving, PG, Boston Celtics

Price: $8,200

I'm all-in on the Kyrie Irving revenge game tonight -- and the narrative has nothing to do with it.

Irving is always going to dominate the ball on offense, and after posting a team-high 30.8% usage rate last season -- despite playing next to LeBron James -- he's a good bet to be among the league leaders in usage this year. He has averaged better than one FanDuel point per minute in five of his six seasons in the NBA, and the potential for increased usage in Boston gives him an even higher ceiling this year.

He also draws a terrific opening night matchup, as Cleveland managed to avoid upgrading defensively at the point after moving Irving.

Derrick Rose will draw the start, and he is coming off an awful season that saw him manage a 115 defensive rating. It didn't help that he was surrounded by an inept New York Knicks squad that ranked 26th in defensive rating, but they were actually 5.5 points per 100 possessions worse with Rose on the floor.

Gordon Hayward will be defended by Jae Crowder and LeBron James, and the huge discrepancy in defensive ability in the Cavs' frontcourt and backcourt means that Irving should play a massive role for Boston to open the season.