The 2023 NBA Playoffs continue on Thursday and Warriors vs. Lakers is the only game on the NBA schedule for that night. Despite Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole all making at least six three-point attempts in Game 1 and Los Angeles making just six three-pointers as a team, the Lakers won 117–112. That was largely due to an incredible performance from Anthony Davis, who finished with 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots to richly reward anyone who had him in their NBA DFS lineup.
With Golden State playing a lot of small balls, there aren’t many answers for Davis and that will make him one of the more popular options in the NBA DFS player pool on Thursday. But who else should you target in this single-game NBA DFS slate, and where can you find a few value plays to ensure you get enough exposure against the bigger names in this star-studded contest? Before you make your Thursday NBA DFS picks, be sure to check out SportsLine’s Mike McClure’s NBA DFS advice, player rankings, stacks, and top daily Fantasy basketball picks.
McClure is a DFS professional with over $2 million in career winnings. He is also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine who uses a powerful prediction model that simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, taking into account factors such as games, statistical trends and injuries.
This allows him to find the best NBA DFS values and create optimal lineups that he only shares through SportsLine. They are a must see for any NBA DFS player.
On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon as one of his top NBA DFS picks. The result: Brogdon had 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in 24 minutes to return 38.5 points on DraftKings and 36.2 on FanDuel. Anyone who included him in their lineup was well on their way to a profitable day.
Now McClure has turned his attention to the NBA playoffs on Thursday and recorded his favorite daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by going to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, May 4
Part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy involves roasting Curry. Despite battling injuries throughout the season, the nine-time NBA All-Star and two-time league MVP averaged 29.4 points, 6.3 assists and a record 6.1 rebounds per game this season.
Curry’s posted the third best field goal percentage of his career (49.3%), and his 42.7% shooting from the 3-point line was a return to normal after shooting just 38.0% last season. During the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Curry averages 32.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and has done his best work when Golden State was back against the wall, even scoring an NBA record 50 points in a Game 7 win over Sacramento in the first round.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy involves drafting Lakers forward LeBron James. The 19-time NBA All-Star and four-time MVP has had a double-double in five of seven postseason games, and is still an exceptionally effective player at 38 years old.
James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 55 games while shooting 50.0% from the floor during the regular season. He averaged 22.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in two regular season matchups with Golden State and had 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots in Game 1.
How to set up your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, May 4
McClure is also targeting a player who could leave en masse on Thursday because of a dream match. This choice can make 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 laying out his optimal NBA DFS lineups for Thursday? 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.