Stephen Curry, the biggest name that would have been in the NBA DFS player pool on Thursday, is out with a knee injury. However, even in just a two-game slate this evening, there are plenty of stars to consider when forming NBA DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is seventh in the league in scoring (29.3 points per game) and going against the Warriors on Thursday, so should daily Fantasy basketball players find a way to utilize him in NBA DFS picks?
Meanwhile, the Nets had three different players in Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson score at least 20 points against the Magic on Tuesday, led by Dinwiddie scoring 29 points. They’ll have a tougher matchup against the Heat tonight, so how should you factor Brooklyn players into building an NBA DFS strategy? Miami guard Duncan Robinson is averaging 22 points per game over his last three games, so could he be a value play 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 Mavericks guard Luka Doncic as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Doncic had 26 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists, returning 51.75 points on DraftKings and 46.4 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, November 16
For Thursday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Warriors shooting guard/small forward Klay Thompson, who is listed at $6,600 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel. Thompson and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels were the instigators of Tuesday’s fight, and both were ejected two minutes into the game. So, Thompson should be well rested entering Thursday, and the Warriors will need him to play a huge role with Curry and Green out.
The five-time All-Star averaged 21.9 points last year, his most since the 2016-17 season, and despite being 33 years old, he has the ability to take over a game when needed. Curry will demand larger usage whenever he’s on the court, but Thompson averaged 26.4 points in 20 games without Curry last season. Expect a big performance from Thompson, who has some making up to do for his teammates for being ejected early in Tuesday’s loss.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Nets center Nicolas Claxton ($6,100 on DraftKings and $7,200 on FanDuel). The 24-year-old center is averaging 8.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and three blocks over three games and is playing a larger role with Ben Simmons (back) out for his fifth straight game.
The Nets will need Claxton to play more minutes to try and contain Bam Adebayo. The Heat are 22nd in field goal percentage in the NBA this season, which could provide more rebounding opportunities for Claxton. The Nets are second in the NBA in rebounding, while the Heat rank 21st on the glass, and this should provide Claxton the opportunity to be a useful piece in NBA DFS lineups without breaking the bank. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, November 16
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.
