3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/10/18

DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, New Orleans Pelicans

DraftKings Salary: $11,000

The New Orleans Pelicans could be without Anthony Davis tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies, which would mean the offense would flow completely through DeMarcus Cousins. With Davis off the floor this season, Cousins' usage rate has jumped from 33.6% to 39.4%, while his DraftKings points per minute have climbed from 1.48 to 1.67. For reference, Westbrook leads this slate with a DraftKings points per minute of 1.58.

While some may argue that Cousins' ridiculous efficiency with Davis off the floor is negated by a poor matchup against the Grizzlies, that narrative is not easy to defend when you take a look at Cousins' recent performances agaisnt Marc Gasol. Boogie dropped 58.5 DraftKings against the Grizz his last time out, a game in which Davis played 40 minutes. In his only game against Memphis as a member of the Pels last season, Cousins piled up 41 points and 16 boards.

Our projections actually have Cousins as the top-projected scorer on the slate and the best value among the studs. He needs just 55 DraftKings points at this price to hit value, which feels like a near-lock if Davis misses. He is a strong play in any format in that instance.