3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 12/13/17

Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic

DraftKings Salary: $8,800

Nikola Vucevic's price has ballooned to a point we have never seen it before, so it may feel a little uncomfortable locking him in tonight. Combine his price hike with a matchup against DeAndre Jordan, and he may be a fade candidate for many tonight. While there may be better options in cash formats, Vucevic is still a terrific tournament target tonight.

With the Orlando Magic dealing with a plethora of injuries, Vucevic has been forced to step into a larger role over the past few games and has not disappointed. He has averaged 62.8 DraftKings points over his past three games -- highlighted by a 71.75-point triple-double his last time out. With Orlando playing without Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross, and Jonathan Isaac, the offense has run completely through Vucevic. He has taken at least 18 shots in each of his past three games and has shown the ability to find open teammates when the double teams come.

As for the matchup, yes -- DeAndre Jordan is a good defender. In the same way that someone like Myles Turner helps the overall defense when he's in the game with his rim protection, Jordan is an excellent real-life defender. From a fantasy perspective though, this matchup isn't as intimidating as it might seem, especially for a center that can space the floor like Vucevic. The Los Angeles Clippers have allowed the fourth-most DraftKings points per game to opposing centers and have struggled specifically against players with skillsets similar to Vucevic's. Jordan often gets himself out of position while hunting for blocks, which allows easy weakside layups for his man when he rotates over. He also struggles to get out and contest on the perimeter against floor-stretchers.

A quick look at Los Angeles' game log backs up this thought process, as opposing stretch-fives that played at least 25 minutes have averaged 44.9 DraftKings points and 1.9 three-pointers per game against the Clips. That list includes Karl-Anthony Towns (twice), Kevin Love, Joel Embiid, DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, and Brook Lopez.

Vucevic needs 44 DraftKings points to reach value at this price, which he has easily eclipsed in four of his past five games. He isn't a cash game lock at his lofty new price tag, but he is certainly a viable option in any format.