Draymond Green will be an inactive in Friday's NBA DFS player pool as he is suspended after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season on Wednesday. That, combined with Andrew Wiggins out and Stephen Curry questionable, leaves the Warriors shorthanded as they face Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and the Hawks. But it also presents an opportunity for an undervalued player to make an impact in NBA DFS lineups, and the spotlight will be on Jonathan Kuminga.
He's had an up and down sophomore season with most of the highs coming when he's logged significant playing time. Kuminga averages 15 points per game when he plays at least 25 minutes, compared to just 6.1 PPG when under 25 minutes. He's primed to log lots of minutes tonight, but what other players in advantageous positions should factor into your NBA DFS strategy? Before making any NBA DFS picks for Friday, 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 over $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 Suns forward Josh Okogie as one of his top NBA DFS picks. The result: Okogie produced 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, returning 38 points on DraftKings and 41.8 points on FanDuel. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, 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, March 17
One of McClure's top NBA DFS picks for Friday is 76ers center Joel Embiid ($11,400 on DraftKings and $12,000 on FanDuel). Embiid is now the favorite to win the NBA MVP award after dropping 36 points to go along with 18 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in a Wednesday win over Cleveland. The center has eclipsed 30 points in each of his last seven games, averaging 36.6 points on over 60% shooting during that stretch.
Embiid should only further bolster his MVP case on Friday as the Sixers visit the Hornets. Charlotte was destroyed by the big man when the two last met, as Embiid had 53 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in just 34 minutes in a December contest. The six-time All-Star has scored at least 29 points in his last five games against Charlotte and is averaging 37.6 PPG during this span.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Grizzlies SG/SF Desmond Bane ($7,400 on DraftKings, $8,400 on FanDuel). Bane has progressed to a solid secondary scoring option for Memphis as he's increased his numbers across the board. The third-year player is averaging career highs in points (21.1), rebounds (5.0) and assists (4.3) per game.
Those numbers are on par with his three-game season averages against the Spurs, who are the Grizzlies' opponents on Friday. In a November game against San Antonio, Bane put up 32 points, six rebounds and six assists, with the point total being his second-highest of the season. Additionally, San Antonio has been shredded by shooting guards all season, having allowed the most Fantasy points to the position on FanDuel and the second-most points on DraftKings.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, March 17
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.
