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

LeBron James, SF/PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

DraftKings Salary: $10,200

LeBron James is officially listed as a game-time decision, so keep a close eye on his status leading up to tipoff. Luckily, he plays in the first game of the slate, so his status should be given prior to lineup lock. The fact that he got in a limited practice yesterday and participated in this morning's shootaround is certainly encouraging.

If James plays, he would be the top play on the slate. We don't yet know how this Cleveland Cavaliers' offense will operate as a whole, but we do know James will get heavy usage. The fact that Cleveland is going with Kevin Love as their starting center rather than Tristan Thompson is definitely a good sign for James.

This move will provide much improved spacing for Cleveland offensively, which will open the driving lanes for the likes of James, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose. Last season, no player got a bigger boost to their numbers with Thompson off the floor than did James, who saw a plus-0.15 DraftKings points per minute jump.

While Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown are definitely capable defenders, LeBron James is LeBron James. Kevin Durant ($9,6000) and James Harden ($10,000) are options 1B and 1C if you're paying all the way up, but a rested James with something to prove is worth every penny. Just keep a close eye on that ankle news.