After both having at least one home game postponed due to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, the Lakers and Clippers will each play their first home games since the disasters began. L.A.locals who attend each game will have the chance to cheer and ban together, and for the players, it’s an opportunity to provide a distraction. We’ve seen in sports throughout the years how devastations can bring incredible performances in athletes following a return, so should daily Fantasy basketball players consider Lakers and Clippers like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, James Harden or Kawhi Leonard even more when forming NBA DFS lineups?
Leonard even took some time away to be with his family during the wildfires but he’s set to return on Monday, so could he finish as one of the highest scorers in the NBA DFS player pool? The Clippers play Miami, which has held opponents to fewer than 100 points in three straight games though, so that should be factored into forming a Monday NBA DFS strategy. Before making any 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 on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
On Wednesday (when McClure last made NBA DFS picks), McClure highlighted 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele as an under-the-radar play the NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Yabusele had 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, returning 43.5 points on DraftKings and 43.1 points on FanDuel. He returned strong value for NBA DFS lineups. Anybody who included him in their lineups could have been well on the way to a profitable day.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Monday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Monday, January 13
For Monday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Lakers forward James, who is listed at $9,500 on both DraftKings and FanDuel. McClure could see James having one of his vintage performances in a game that could receive additional attention due to wildfires and playing in Los Angeles on Monday, and James is a player throughout his career who has shown the ability to elevate his game in meaningful contests. The additional rest should also bode well for James, who is 40 years old and playing in his 22nd NBA season as the Lakers haven’t played since Tuesday.
Although James has played professionally longer than some of his peers have been alive, he continues to perform with the best in the league, averaging 23.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is fourth in assists, and his 50.7% shooting from the field ranks in the top 30 in the league. The Lakers play the Spurs and James had a triple-double in each of his first two games against San Antonio this season. James is probable (foot) for Monday, but if he plays, James could put together a special performance for an L.A. crowd waiting for a reason to celebrate.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Warriors point guard Steph Curry ($8,800 on DraftKings and $8,700 on FanDuel). Curry is averaging 26 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists over four games in January. The NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers remains one of the top playmakers in the league, and the 36-year-old has scored at least 30 points in two of those four contests. He’s averaging 22.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists this season.
On Monday, the Warriors are playing the Raptors, who rank 27th in scoring defense (119.2 ppg) while also allowing the 27th-most 3-pointers per game (14.3). Toronto enters on a five-game losing streak, most recently allowing 123 points to the Pistons, which is 11 points more than Detroit averages this season. Curry averages 26.2 ppg over his career against the Raptors, and given Toronto’s poor play of late, McClure expects another strong performance from the future Hall of Famer. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Monday, January 13
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Monday 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 Monday? 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.
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