3 NBA DraftKings Studs to Target on 2/5/18

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

DraftKings Salary: $8,700

On a slate with a plethora of center options, many will be scared off of Nikola Jokic due to a less than ideal matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. While that is fair -- Dwight Howard and the Hornets have been a very tough draw for opposing centers this season -- Jokic hasn't cared who the opponent is lately. He's averaging 48.3 DraftKings points over his past seven games, despite five of those games coming against teams ranked in the bottom-10 in DraftKings points per game allowed to centers.

Jokic's unique skillset when it comes to passing the ball and scoring outside of the post makes him matchup proof, which we saw on full display just two games ago, when he dropped 76.75 DraftKings points in an intimidating on-paper matchup against Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While the individual matchup against Howard isn't ideal, the game script in this one couldn't get much better. The Denver Nuggets have a slate-leading implied team total of 112.5 points, while the over/under is a full five points higher than the next closest. On a slate full of slow-paced teams, attacking with the best player in the game that is expected to be the highest-scoring one makes a lot of sense.

Jokic's recent dominance isn't a random hot streak, either. With Mason Plumlee sidelined, the Nuggets have been able to play Jokic at his natural position and run the offense through him. His DraftKings points per minute are up to an elite mark of 1.30 without Plumlee on the court this season. At that level of efficiency, the Joker would need just 33 minutes to reach the 43.5 DraftKings points required of him at this price tag.