3 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target on 3/7/18

Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets

Price: $9,700

On the other side of what should be a shootout in that Cavs/Nuggets matchup, Nikola Jokic is a guy that may go overlooked.

He was surprisingly benched in the fourth quarter of a close game against the Dallas Mavericks last night, and while that raises some concerns about his workload moving forward, it does help alleviate some of the concerns that come from playing on a back-to-back, as he should be relatively fresh.

Jokic's efficiency is never really a concern, as he's averaging 1.31 FanDuel points per minute while sporting an 18.8% rebound rate, 29.5% assist rate, 23.6% usage rate, and .587 true shooting percentage on the year. His minutes are sometimes volatile, but he has played at least 32 in five of his last eight games, leaving him with plenty of upside.

He also has a great matchup with the Cavs, who are thin in the frontcourt. Since Kevin Love went down at the end of January, the Cavs rank 19th in defensive rating while playing at a top-12 pace. Now also playing without Tristan Thompson (ankle, out), things get even better for opposing frontcourt players, as Cleveland's rebound rate falls 3.3% with Thompson off the floor.

Jokic isn't a high-floor play, but his huge upside is very appealing in tournaments, especially when combined with what will likely be a low ownership percentage after his underwhelming performance last night.