NBA

4 NBA FanDuel Studs to Target for 2/5/16

Breaking down the top high-priced options of the day shows that John Wall is in a great spot against the lowly 76ers.

Big NBA slates mean big fantasy points for FanDuel squads.

Of course, to cash in on the potential of a full slate, you'll need to hit on value plays and studs alike.

Which four high-priced players should you target for tonight's action?

John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

Price: 9,900

It's hard not to like any point guard against the 76ers at this point. It's also hard to not like John Wall with the way he's been playing lately. Combining the two of them almost feels greedy.

Wall has been terrific over the past month, posting 42.45 FanDuel points per game, averaging a double-double, with 20.8 points, 10.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He's only gone under 30 FanDuel points three times and has shown elite upside with two 60-plus games in that span. Wall's 30.3 percent Usage Rate is good for ninth-best among players with 15-plus minutes per game over the last month, and he'll get all the opportunities he can handle against Philly.

The 76ers' 107.2 Defensive Rating puts them 19th in the league, and they're giving up 105.4 points per game, the sixth most in the league, while allowing the 10th most fantasy points to opposing point guards. They also turn the ball over more than anyone, with a 16.3 percent Turnover Rate, and Wall, who ranks fifth with 2.1 steals per game, is a perfect player to take advantage of that.

If that's not enough for you, you can expect this to be one of the fastest-paced games of the night, as Washington and Philadelphia are playing at the fifth- and sixth-fastest tempos in the league this year.

Rajon Rondo, PG, Sacramento Kings

Price: $8,300

While Wall's matchup may very well be ideal, Rajon Rondo's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets isn't far behind. Brooklyn is sporting a 108.7 Defensive Efficiency, ranking 27th in the NBA, and is giving up the second most fantasy points to point guards.

Rondo does a lot of his fantasy damage with his peripheral stats, averaging only 11.5 points, but 11.8 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game over the last month. This makes the Nets a great matchup for him because, not only is their defense weak, they're giving up the fifth most steals and fifth most assists per game. Rondo has a 2.4 percent Steal Rate as well as an impressive 49.0 percent Assist Rate and a 9.7 percent Rebound Rate on the season, and he's a legitimate triple-double threat in this matchup.

Jimmy Butler, SG, Chicago Bulls

Price: $8,800

Jimmy Butler was a disaster for fantasy owners on Wednesday, being ruled out seemingly out of the blue -- and only after lineups had already locked. He's expected to be a gametime decision tonight, but if he goes, he's in a great spot for fantasy purposes.

He's been playing really well lately, averaging 40.3 FanDuel points per game over the last month, putting up 23.9 points, 6.1 boards and 5.5 assists per game, and against a weak Denver defense, we could see him put up some big numbers.

Denver ranks 23rd with a 108.2 Defensive Efficiency, and they're giving up 103.6 points per game, the ninth most in the league. They've also really struggled defending guards, and they're allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing shooting guards on the year.

If Butler ends up being ruled out for this one, Dwyane Wade is another strong option at the top end of shooting guard pricing. His 33.5 percent Usage Rate over the last month is one of the highest in the league, and he has averaged 18.9 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds (good for 32.5 FanDuel points) per game in that span.

DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

Price: $11,000

DeMarcus Cousins has been the backbone of the Kings' offense. In the 14 games he's played over the past month, he has a ridiculous 38.3 percent Usage Rate, almost 5 percent higher than anyone else who has seen 10-plus minutes per game. He has averaged 37.1 minutes per game in that span, putting up 31.3 points, 12.6 boards and 3.5 assists, scoring an absurd 53.1 FanDuel points per game.

The Nets have been terrible defensively this year, sitting 27th with a 108.7 Defensive Efficiency. They're allowing the 10th most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and the 6th most to centers, so wherever Cousins is lined up when he's on the floor, he'll be in a great spot.