With Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (quad) and Heat guard Jimmy Butler (calf) out on Friday, how should this affect your NBA DFS strategy? Doncic has the second-highest usage rate (34.8%) in the NBA this season and is averaging 32.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, so who could be in line to take Doncic's usage? Is this an opportunity for daily Fantasy basketball players to include Tim Hardaway Jr. or Grant Williams in NBA DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings?
Heat guard Tyler Herro is averaging 26.5 points per game over his last two contests, including scoring 28 points on Wednesday when Butler missed that contest. Should you include him in NBA DFS lineups, and who are some other values in the NBA DFS player pool that could outperform their price tag in a six-game slate on Friday? Before making your NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out the NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Mike McClure.
McClure is a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings. He's also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking factors like matchups, statistical trends and injuries into account.
This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Thursday, McClure highlighted Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: DeRozan had 21 points, four rebounds and five assists, returning 36 points on DraftKings and 36.3 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, December 22
For Friday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is 76ers center Joel Embiid, who is listed at $11,200 on DraftKings and $12,900 on FanDuel. Embiid is putting together one of the most impressive scoring months in NBA history, averaging 41.4 points and 12.9 rebounds over eight December contests. He has the highest usage rate in the NBA (37.7%) and has scored at least 30 points in 13 straight games.
The 76ers play the Raptors on Friday, and Embiid is averaging 29.3 points and 10 rebounds over his last six contests versus Toronto. The reigning NBA MVP leads the league in scoring (35.1 points per game) and is fifth in rebounding (11.8 rebounds per game). Embiid comes with a hefty price tag, but he's a consistent top performer every night the 76ers play, and McClure doesn't expect that trend to change on Friday.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Suns forward Kevin Durant ($9,700 on DraftKings and $10,200 on FanDuel). Durant had 40 points on Tuesday and is averaging 31 points per game this season. On Friday, the Suns play the Kings, who allowed 144 points to the Celtics on Wednesday.
Bradley Beal (ankle) and Jusuf Nurkic (personal) are both out on Friday, which will allow Durant to be more aggressive with his shot, and the Suns may need him to be more aggressive in corralling rebounds as well. Durant has been one of the best scorers in the NBA throughout his 17-year career, yet he's having his second-best scoring season this year at 31 ppg. With other stars in the NBA DFS player pool out Friday, Durant is worth spending up for when forming NBA DFS lineups. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, December 22
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday because of a dream matchup. This pick could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
Who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NBA DFS picks, rankings, advice, and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.
