Celtics forward Jayson Tatum led the team with 30 points in Game 1, but he did not take a shot in the fourth quarter and committed three turnovers. He was one game removed from setting an NBA Game 7 scoring record with 51 points against Philadelphia, so how should you approach him with your NBA DFS strategy on Friday? Meanwhile, Miami’s Jimmy Butler had another huge game, pouring in 35 points while adding seven assists, six steals and five rebounds. He has five 30-point games in the 2023 NBA playoffs, averaging 31.5 points in 11 contests.
There are limited options in the NBA DFS player pool on Friday night, so it is important to read through quality NBA DFS advice. Which players have value and are worth including in your daily Fantasy basketball lineups? Before making your 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 Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in his NBA DFS player pool. The result: Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals to return 70.25 points on DraftKings and 65.4 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 the NBA playoffs 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, May 19
One part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Celtics forward Tatum. While Boston came up short in the series opener, Tatum still finished with 30 points and seven rebounds, making all 11 of his attempts from the free throw line. He has been the team’s leading scorer in the regular season and the playoffs, averaging a double-double with 28.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in the postseason.
He poured in 51 points and grabbed 13 boards in Game 7 against Philadelphia, setting an NBA Game 7 scoring record. Tatum led all Boston players in scoring in Game 1 against Miami, hitting 10-plus free throws for the third time in his last four games. The Celtics cannot afford to go down 2-0 in the series, so their superstar will command plenty of playing time on Friday night.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Heat small forward Caleb Martin. He matched his second-best scoring output of the postseason when he finished with 15 points in the Game 1 victory. Martin scored 15 points twice in the first-round series against Milwaukee before scoring 22 points in Game 2 against the Knicks.
The fourth-year pro has reached double figures in three of his last four games, flying under the radar as a profitable player in NBA DFS contests. He has upped his scoring average by nearly two points from the regular season, and he is also averaging more rebounds and assists. Miami’s coaching staff trusts Martin to deliver in big games, so McClure is comfortable adding him to NBA DFS lineups as a cheaper option. See the rest of McClure’s picks here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, May 19
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.