When Kawhi Leonard (knee) was ruled out for Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns, it put a major hit in odds the Los Angeles Clippers would advance in the 2023 NBA playoffs. But from an NBA DFS perspective, it created the Fantasy resurrection of Russell Westbrook, who has averaged 33.5 points, seven rebounds and eight assists over the last two games as he’s regained his status as a top NBA DFS pick.
We’ve seen glimpses of Westbrook from his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder and that’s what injuries can provide and must be factored into an NBA DFS strategy. Leonard is out again Tuesday in what could be the Clippers final game of the season. Do you want to input the 34-year-old guard into your NBA DFS lineup on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings as he, along with the likes of Norman Powell and Eric Gordon look to stave off elimination? Before making your NBA DFS picks for Tuesday, 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 Monday, McClure highlighted Lakers SF/PF LeBron James as one of his top NBA DFS picks. The result: James had 22 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks, returning 63 points on DraftKings and 61.5 points on FanDuel. He was the day’s third-highest scorer on DraftKings and fourth-highest scorer 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 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 25
One of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is for Suns SF/PF Kevin Durant ($9,900 on DraftKings and $10,000 on FanDuel). Durant comes with a hefty price tag as one of the highest-priced players on each platform, but his consistency justifies the price. He is averaging 27.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game this postseason and had 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in Game 4.
Durant has played at least 44 minutes in three of the four games this series and has shown no ill effects from his numerous injuries during the regular season. Since returning to the Suns lineup with seven games left in the regular season following an ankle injury, Durant has quickly adapted to playing with his new teammates. The two-time NBA Finals MVP has scored at least 25 points in each game this postseason and is shooting 51.5% from the field.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Timberwolves SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($4,100 on both DraftKings and FanDuel). Players like Alexander-Walker are pivotal for winning lineups in tournaments and cash games as he’s not one of the stars filled in the majority of rosters but can still provide value. He took advantage of his substantial increase in playing time in Game 4 with eight points and four rebounds in 37 minutes. These aren’t numbers that are going to win a pot of gold by themselves, but his contributions at that value allow the ability to splurge on superstars.
Alexander-Walker averaged 6.7 points and 1.7 rebounds over 23.9 minutes over the first three games against the Nuggets. The Game 4 minutes increase was in part due to Karl-Anthony Towns playing limited minutes (36) due to foul trouble and Kyle Anderson getting injured. Anderson (eye) is out for Tuesday, and given the Wolves getting their first win of the series with Alexander-Walker playing his most minutes yet, don’t be surprised if Minnesota sticks with the increased minutes for the 24-year-old wing.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Tuesday, April 25
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.