3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/4/18

Chris Paul, PG/SG, Houston Rockets

DraftKings Salary: $9,800

Many players saw sharp drops in their pricing in anticipation of today's two-game slate, which makes sense given the nature of this slate. Each of the four teams are very concentrated in where they get their fantasy production from, meaning most of the relevant players on this slate would normally classify as "studs." As such, it's really important to keep an eye on which players saw a drop in price and which did not, because the players that didn't see a price drop actually may be a bit overpriced relative to the field.

Chris Paul is one of these players, as he actually comes into this game $200 more expensive than yesterday. At this price, he may go a bit overlooked, because the likes of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Blake Griffin all come in a full $1,000 cheaper.

Don't let the pricing discrepancy keep you off of Paul today, though. With James Harden off the floor this season, Paul has averaged an insane 1.71 DraftKings points per minute -- up from his season average of 1.32. For some context, the next-highest marks on today's slate are Russell Westbrook (1.57), Curry (1.47), and Durant (1.42). He doesn't seem overpriced now, does he?

It is worth noting that Paul is shooting a putrid 31.8% from the field since returning from injury, so the rust may not be completely off yet. Still, the over/under in this game is much higher than the Clippers-Thunder game, and Paul has assisted on or scored 86.4% of Houston's points with him on and Harden off the floor this season. So, if you expect this game to remain competitive and high-scoring, it is going to be almost entirely dependent on Paul. He is one of the strongest plays on the slate -- it is just a matter of being able to find enough value to fit him in.