3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 1/1/18

Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves

Price: $9,600

The most obvious stud play tonight is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is the only player priced above $10,000 on the slate, $1,300 more than the next-highest player. There is a clear psychological draw because of this, and people will no doubt gravitate towards him even if they don't want to. It's human nature to want the best, and dollar signs are a quick signal of that in our society and DFS. However, Giannis still needs 54.5 points to hit value, something he has not done since December 19th, and the Toronto Raptors are giving up only 43.19 FanDuel points per game to his position. While his upside leaves him usable in tournaments, he's not necessarily a player around which to build a cash lineup tonight.

There aren't a ton of options to fill the void, but the most obvious is Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns has turned it on over his past 12 games. During that stretch, he is averaging 21.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. More importantly, however, he is averaging 2.5 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. These categories are worth three points each this season, up from two previously. His dominance in those categories in that 12-game stretch has helped propel him to 50.8 FanDuel points per game, 7.9 more than his season average.

Tonight's matchup couldn't be much better for him to continue his recent dominance. The Los Angeles Lakers are giving up 54.96 FanDuel points to opposing centers this season, second most in the league. Towns has historically fared well against them, too. He has scored at least 48 FanDuel points against them in each of their past four meetings, including a 74.2-point outing in April of 2017.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are 10.5-point favorites tonight, so there is some risk of a blowout here. However, last night's game against the Indiana Pacers should somewhat quell those fears. The Wolves were up by 29 points heading into the fourth quarter, but Towns still played 38 minutes. Barring an injury, he should easily see 30 minutes of run, which is still more than enough for him to hit value against this opponent.