Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard has battled injuries throughout his career and has often been one of the league leaders in maintenance days throughout a season. But the 32-year-old has been healthy nearly this entire season and played 68 of 74 games through the end of March. Leonard missed Tuesday and will be out on Thursday with knee soreness as LA takes on Denver. So, how should daily Fantasy basketball players view other Clippers in the NBA DFS player pool such as Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook when forming NBA DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings?
Westbrook had 20 points, his most since Feb. 2, on Tuesday with Leonard out. Can daily Fantasy basketball players expect similar success with an increased opportunity when forming an NBA DFS strategy? There may only be five games on Thursday, but the NBA DFS player pool is filled with elite options such as Luka Doncic, Domantas Sabonis and Steph Curry. So, who should you include in NBA DFS lineups? 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 Wednesday, McClure highlighted Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Antetokounmpo had 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and five blocks, returning 52.25 points on DraftKings and 56.4 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 Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, April 4
For Thursday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is rostering Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who is listed at $9,100 on DraftKings and $9.400 on FanDuel. Brunson is coming off a rare off-shooting night, finishing with 20 points on 5 of 18 from the field in a 109-99 loss to the Heat on Tuesday. Brunson did have 10 assists though, and Miami has a way of making stars struggle as the Heat are allowing the fourth-lowest opponent scoring average (108.4 ppg).
But Thursday should be a more favorable matchup with the Knicks hosting the Kings. Sacramento is 19th in scoring defense (115.7 ppg), and Brunson had 42 points against the Kings on March 16. Brunson, who made his first All-Star Game this season, is averaging a career-high 27.8 points and 6.6 assists. The 27-year-old is averaging 36.5 ppg in his next performance after being held to 20 points or fewer, so McClure expects another scoring outburst from Brunson on Thursday.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Rockets guard/forward Cam Whitmore ($4,100 on DraftKings and $5,000 on FanDuel). The No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft had 14 points over 23 minutes in a Tuesday loss to the Timberwolves. It was Whitmore's second game back after missing three weeks with a knee injury, but the rookie has played at least 22 minutes in each of the first two games back, averaging 13.5 ppg in the return.
Tonight, the Rockets play the Warriors, and both teams are rolling heading into this matchup. The Warriors have won five straight, and Houston is 11-2 over its last 13 contests. After playing a limited role early in his rookie season, Whitmore is averaging 14.3 points over his last six games while playing at least 20 minutes in each. Whitmore is still one of the cheaper options in the NBA DFS player pool, but given his increased opportunity before and after the injury, he can provide value to NBA DFS lineups on Thursday. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, April 4
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday 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 Thursday? 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.
