Even with Giannis Antetokounmpo (doubtful) and Kawhi Leonard (questionable) uncertain to play on Tuesday, the NBA DFS player pool is still loaded with elite options. Tyrese Haliburton, Paul George, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are just some of the superstars available, though rostering multiple of these players in daily Fantasy basketball lineups will put a strain on your NBA DFS salary cap. Thus, you'll need to complement these star players with more affordable options for the first Tuesday of the 2024 NBA playoffs.
Ivica Zubac is coming off a postseason career-high of 20 points in the Clippers' Game 1 win over Dallas, while Minnesota's Nickeil Alexander-Walker also had a career-high with 18 points in the Game 1 victory over Phoenix. Neither would break the bank as NBA DFS picks for Tuesday, and rostering them would then allow you to splurge on those pricier options. 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 Monday, McClure highlighted Lakers forward LeBron James as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: James had 26 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals, returning 64 points on DraftKings and 63.6 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 Tuesday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Tuesday, April 22
For Tuesday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is rostering Bucks guard Damian Lillard who is listed at $9,300 on DraftKings and $9,500 on FanDuel. The version of Lillard that Portland fans saw for a decade showed up in Game 1 as all 35 of his points came in the first half of the victory over Indiana. Antetokounmpo being sidelined played a part in Lillard going off, and Milwaukee picking up the win only increases the likelihood that the Bucks will give the two-time MVP another game to recover from his injury.
This was Lillard's first postseason game since 2021, and it appeared he simply picked up where he left off. Over his last seven playoff games, Lillard is averaging 34.4 points, 9.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds. While he struggled with his jumper in the regular season versus Indiana, he still averaged 20.3 points across four games to go along with 5.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes stacking Lillard with guard Malik Beasley ($4,200 on DraftKings and $4,100 on FanDuel). The sharpshooter had nine points and four rebounds in Game 1, which are close to his season averages. He's scored at least seven points in all six games versus Indiana this season and scored a season-high of 30 points in a game in which Antetokounmpo was sidelined earlier this season.
Beasley has played 92% of his minutes this season at either shooting guard or small forward, and both wing positions routinely exploit the Pacers. Indiana ranks in the bottom-eight on both DraftKings and FanDuel in terms of NBA DFS points allowed to both SGs and SFs. The Pacers gave up both the most 3-point makes and 3-point attempts of any NBA team in the regular season, and with outside shooting being Beasley's calling card, he's a strategic addition to Tuesday's NBA DFS lineups. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday, April 22
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Tuesday 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 Tuesday? 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.
