NBA

3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 2/14/18

Brett Oswalt  —  @bRo14thekid Feb 14th, 2018
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James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

Price: $11,500

In case you're looking to pay down at center and get your big production elsewhere, don't worry -- there are many options. The Bearded One, James Harden, tops the list in an advantageous matchup with the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings haven't been terrible against shooting guards this year. They're 12th in our per-48 rankings and rank inside the top-10 over the last five games. But can we really consider Harden a shooting guard? Other than playing alongside Chris Paul, there isn't much to prove it. His 36% usage rate is nearly 5% clear of the next-closest two-guard (Devin Booker). And, if you can believe it, that number's increased to a league-leading 39.1% over the Rockets' last five matchups (they've won all of them).

With his MVP-like usage, Harden's been churning out fantasy MVP numbers of late. After being limited to 38.7 FanDuel points and 16 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he's produced no fewer than 47.7 FanDuel points with an average of 54.1 over the last five. He did one better in last night's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he went off for 62.7 FanDuel points and a 34-point double-double in 35.8 minutes.

To say that Harden carries big upside is an understatement. The Kings are 29th in defensive rating and the Rockets, according to Vegas, are expected to score 115.25 points tonight. The only thing working against Harden is a 14-point spread. If there's a blowout, he might not get the minutes to meet value. But, if the Kings keep this within reach, rostering Harden could pay off big if everyone else spends up at center and you get him at low ownership.


Brett Oswalt is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Brett also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username BRO14THEKID. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her 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.

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