3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 12/15/17

Dwight Howard, C, Charlotte Hornets

DraftKings Salary: $8,100

Dwight Howard has been unstoppable of late, averaging 49.7 DraftKings points over his past four games. Not coincidentally, those games have come in the absence of reserve center Cody Zeller, which has forced Howard to play 30-plus minutes a night. His price is up a bit, but is still $1,100 cheaper than his salary on FanDuel.

At this price tag, Howard needs 40.5 DraftKings points to reach value. That may have been a stretch if he was taking on the Hassan Whiteside-led Miami Heat frontcourt we have grown accustomed to over the years, but Howard will be facing a watered-down version that features Kelly Olynyk starting at center. Per nbawowy.com, the Heat have seen their rebounding rate drop from 51.1% with Whiteside on the floor to 47.8% without him, which would rank 27th over the course of the full season. They have also allowed 1.121 points per possession without Whiteside, as opposed to 1.041 with him.

We actually have a one-game sample size of Dwight against the Whiteside-less Heat this season, but unfortunately Howard couldn't keep his hands to himself in that game, as foul trouble limited him to just 16 minutes. He did fall one board shy of a double-double in those 16 minutes though, putting up 10 points and 9 rebounds against a soft Miami frontcourt -- good for a casual 23 and 20 per-36 minute pace. The risk for foul trouble is certainly there against a top-notch flop artist like Olynyk, so someone like Nikola Vucevic (assuming Aaron Gordon is out) might be a better cash game center. However, the upside for a 20-20 game is realistically within reach for Howard in this matchup, making him a terrific tournament play.