Two of the top three scorers in the NBA this season are about to go head-to-head over the next week-plus to determine who advances to the Western Conference Finals. Mavericks guard Luka Doncic led the NBA in scoring at 33.9 points per game, while Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was third at 30.1 ppg. The two also averaged more than 27 ppg in their first-round matchups of the 2024 NBA playoffs, so should you include either of them with their high price tags in NBA DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings?
Neither option is cheap in the NBA DFS player pool, but superstars can make all the difference for NBA DFS lineups, especially in the postseason with starters playing more minutes. To roster either of these options, daily Fantasy basketball players will need to find value in the NBA DFS player pool elsewhere. Celtics forward Sam Hauser had 17 points in the series-clinching victory over the Heat, so could he be a useful piece in your NBA DFS strategy? 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 Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Brunson had 43 points, six rebounds and six assists, returning 60 points on DraftKings and 58.2 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, May 7
For Tuesday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is rostering Thunder guard Gilgeous-Alexander, who is listed at $9,100 on DraftKings and $10,200 on FanDuel. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27.3 points, six rebounds, five assists and 1.5 steals per game in the Thunder's sweep of the Pelicans in the opening round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. He had 24 points and 10 rebounds in the final game of the series. OKC loves to push the pace, something it shares in common with the Mavs, which could lead to more opportunities for him to score and create this series.
The Mavericks play at the seventh-fastest pace in the NBA, compared to the Pelicans at 16th. The Thunder play at the fifth-fastest pace, and Gilgeous-Alexander is the primary reason for the ball being pushed up and down the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 25 points in two of the three games he played more than 16 minutes against Dallas this season. He had 15 points and six assists in just 16 minutes in a 135-86 win over Dallas in the final game of the regular season, and is a top option in Tuesday's NBA DFS player pool.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday ($5,900 on DraftKings and $6,000 on FanDuel). Holiday averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season, and his elite defense keeps him on the floor more than 30 minutes a night despite strong guards and scorers in Boston. Holiday averaged 10.5 points, six rebounds and 5.5 assists over Boston's final two opening-round games against the Heat and comes at a reasonable price in the NBA DFS player pool. A series against Cleveland could provide better matchups for Holiday.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs isn't thought of as one of the best guards in the league, but he increased his scoring total by two points in Orlando's series against Cleveland over what he averaged during the regular season. Suggs averaged 14.7 ppg in the playoffs compared to 12.6 ppg in the regular season. Holiday played at least 33 minutes in all five Boston playoff games, despite three of the five contests being 20-point victories and each of the five games being separated by double-digits. This should be a much more competitive series against Cleveland, and Holiday can provide value for NBA DFS lineups from the very start. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday, May 7
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.
