3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 1/24/18

James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

Price: $11,500

The Dallas Mavericks are an interesting stylistic matchup for James Harden. They're a weak defensive team, sitting bottom-10 in defensive rating on the season, but they do have some skilled defenders. They allow bottom-10 fantasy production to opponents on the wing, but they are one of the best teams in the league at defending isolation plays, which is a big part of Harden's game.

Harden also does a ton of work in the pick-and-roll, though, with his 11.3 possessions per game ranking fourth in the NBA. Dallas allows the most points per possession to pick-and-roll ball handlers, so the Beard should have no trouble exposing them on those plays.

The Mavs also have a complete dearth of rim protection, allowing the league's second-highest field goal percentage in the restricted area, where Harden attempts 6.3 field goals per game.

We've seen some down games from Harden since his return from injury, but he's back to a full workload. He had exploded for 60-plus FanDuel points in 6 of 12 games before the injury, and he still has that kind of upside here.