Kyrie Irving is set to face his former team in a nationally televised game Sunday afternoon, providing FanDuel NBA rosters with a reliable point guard option.
The first two career games for Kyrie Irving against the team that selected him with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft has produced mixed results for any FanDuel NBA team that saved a point guard space for him.
In his first ever game with the Boston Celtics, Irving dished out a season-high 10 assists to go along with 22 points, four rebounds and three steals, but the Cleveland Cavaliers still escaped with a 102-99 victory.
The first game in 2018 for Boston came against the Cavaliers, and while Irving struggled offensively, totaling 11 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field and six assists, Irving managed to supplement his value in FanDuel NBA leagues by grabbing nine rebounds.
Although the sample size is severely limited, Irving is posting 8.0 assists and 6.5 steals per game against the Cavaliers, his highest against any single opponent, while his 16.5 points is the fewest against a single team.
Irving has not only thrived individually during his tenure with the Celtics — shooting a career-high 48.5 percent from the field while averaging 24.7 points, 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game — but he has carried the team to 40 victories, the first Eastern Conference team to accomplish the feat.
Boston is competing with the Toronto Raptors for the best record in the Eastern Conference and the Cavs have been forced to completely revamp their roster, acquiring Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill at the trade deadline.
Following the trade deadline, Irving offered a brief statement about the team he spent his first six years in the league with and helped Cleveland capture the first championship in franchise history.
Kyrie Irving, asked about the Cavs' moves today, shook his head and responded with just three words: "I'm in Boston."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 9, 2018
Instead, Irving is focused on helping the Celtics add to their storied legacy, elevating his game over the last 10 games.
Irving has become a consistent FanDuel NBA point guard option during the run, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from 3-point range while averaging 27 points, 4.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.
FanDuel NBA rosters have benefited, as he has totaled 40 or more fantasy points six times in the past 10 games. As Irving prepares to face his former team for the third time in his career, FanDuel NBA players will benefit with him on their team Sunday afternoon.