A nine-game NBA Cup schedule on Friday offers a wide range of options for daily fantasy basketball players. The marquee matchup features Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with tip-off set for 10 p.m. ET.
Among the top players available for NBA DFS lineups are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, Kyrie Irving, LaMelo Ball, Ty Jerome, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Tyler Herro, Cooper Flagg, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Jalen Johnson, Scottie Barnes, Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid. Gilgeous-Alexander carries the highest salary on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS professional with more than $2 million in career winnings and a predictive data engineer who simulates every minute of every game 10,000 times, has released his optimal picks for Friday. His top selection is Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving ($7,400 on DraftKings, $7,200 on FanDuel). Irving has been dominant early in the season, scoring 35 points with nine assists and four rebounds in a win over the Houston Rockets on Oct. 30. Through six games, he averages 22.7 points, 4.8 assists, and four rebounds.
McClure pairs Irving with Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert ($5,500 on DraftKings, $5,900 on FanDuel). Gobert grabbed 20 rebounds in an overtime loss at Cleveland on Oct. 26 and posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
McClure also identifies a player with an optimal matchup who could deliver massive numbers, though that name is only available through SportsLine. His full rankings, stacks, and advice can be accessed on the SportsLine platform.
