The New Year’s NBA roster features just six teams in action, but it also features some of the league’s most iconic players. MVPs Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be judged, as will future MVPs Jayson Tatum and Ja Morant. Uploading stars to your NBA DFS rosters is a proven formula, but you won’t be able to list every elite option on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings due to NBA DFS’ limited salary caps.
So come New Year’s Day, you’ll need to weave cheaper options from the somewhat limited NBA DFS player pool. Perhaps Sacramento sharpshooter Kevin Huerter would fit the bill, having averaged 19.4 points in his last five games going an astonishing 59-49-90. Before picking your NBA DFS picks for Sunday, be sure to check out SportsLine’s Mike McClure’s NBA DFS tips, player rankings, stacks, and top fantasy basketball daily picks.
McClure is a DFS pro with over $2 million in career earnings. He’s also a predictive data engineer at SportsLine, using a powerful prediction model that simulates every game 10,000 times a minute, factoring in factors like matchups, statistical trends, and injuries.
This allows you to find the best NBA DFS scores and create optimal lineups that you only share on SportsLine. They are a must have for any NBA DFS player.
On Saturday, he singled out 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton among his top NBA DFS picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel. The result: Melton had a complete stat with 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, and posted 44.75 points in DraftKings and 47.9 points in FanDuel. Anyone who included him in their lineups was well on their way to a profitable day.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to Sunday’s NBA action and presented his top daily fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them if you go to SportsLine.
NBA DFS Top Picks for Sunday, January 1
As of Sunday, Bucks forward Antetokounmpo, who is traded at $12,100 on DraftKings and $12,300 on FanDuel, is one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks. The two-time MVP has had an out-of-this-world streak over his last six games, surpassing 40 points in four of them. During that stretch, Antetokounmpo is averaging 38 points, 14.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per night.
His 32.1 PPG this season is a career high and ranks third in the NBA. An interesting matchup against the Wizards awaits him on Sunday, with Antetokounmpo showing total skill in his last two games against Washington. He first had a stat of 29-18-5 against the Wizards and then followed up with a 30-point triple-double against Washington. The Wizards have dropped by at least 100 points in 23 straight contests, so there will certainly be opportunities for Antetokounmpo to rack up big stats come New Year’s Day.
Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy is placing Celtics guard Marcus Smart ($6,000 on DraftKings and $6,500 on FanDuel). Smart had 17 points and nine assists in his most recent outing, both above his season averages. The defending Defensive Player of the Year also had three rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot.
Boston visits Denver on Sunday, and the Nuggets are among the worst teams in the league when it comes to point guard defense. They conceded the second most fantasy points to opposing PCs in DraftKings and the third most in FanDuel. Denver just let Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox have a season-high 31 points and 13 assists Wednesday, so look for Smart to become the latest point guard to take advantage of a shady defense.
How to set NBA DFS rosters for Sunday January 1st
McClure is also targeting a player who could put up huge numbers for a dream matchup on Sunday. This choice could be the difference between winning your tournaments and cash games or going home with nothing. You can only see who is here.
Who put DFS pro Mike McClure into their optimal NBA-DFS lineup for Sunday? Visit SportsLine now for the best NBA DFS picks, rankings, tips and stacks, all from a professional DFS player who has over $2 million in career earnings and find out.
