3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 1/16/18

Kyrie Irving, PG, Boston Celtics

DraftKings Salary: $8,500

Kyrie Irving seems a bit overpriced at this salary, and he is admittedly a stronger play over on FanDuel, where he comes in $300 cheaper. While he hasn't been hitting value at this price (42.5 DraftKings points) with much regularity recently, Irving stands out at one of the more secure cash-game anchors on the slate. If you're scared off by blowout risk with some of the other top guards, this game is expected to remain the most competitive of any on the slate.

Irving's Boston Celtics have the third-highest implied team total of the night as they are expected to outscore their season average by a touch more than six points. They face a New Orleans Pelicans team that is ranked 6th in pace and 24th in defensive efficiency, and the Pels have allowed the 3rd-most points per game to opponents and the most DraftKings points per game to opposing point guards.

Irving's ceiling has been a bit capped this season -- he has just four games of 50-plus DraftKings points. But he has been one of the safest studs to target, as well, with just two games of sub-30 DraftKings points. In possibly the best matchup available for point guards, Irving is one of the highest-floor studs available tonight.

Jacob Gibbs is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jacob Gibbs also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jagibbs23. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.