The new-look Knicks take the court for the first time on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET after trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges this offseason. New York reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals before losing to the Pacers and decided this offseason it needed to make some changes to increase the chances of taking home an NBA title. How will Towns and Bridges fit in with the Knicks on Opening Night of the 2024-25 NBA season, and should daily Fantasy basketball players use them in NBA DFS lineups against the Boston Celtics?
The Lakers vs. Timberwolves matchup (10 p.m. ET) is the second game in Tuesday's Opening Night doubleheader as the long-time face of the league in LeBron James plays the potential future face in Anthony Edwards. Should you spend up for either of these superstars in NBA DFS picks? Before making your 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.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Tuesday for the 2024 NBA Opening Night and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for NBA Opening Night on Tuesday, Oct. 22
For Tuesday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is rostering Lakers forward LeBron James, who is listed at $8,900 on DraftKings and $9,900 on FanDuel. Regardless of where you rank him, James is undeniably one of the best players in NBA history, and as he enters his 22nd season, the 39-year-old has yet another motivator to continue to play at the highest level.
James had a decrease in scoring and rebounding last year from the season before, but he's still posting statistics better than nearly everyone else in the league. He averaged 25.7 points and 7.3 rebounds while increasing his assists to 8.3 per game. James is often a player who raises his game in front of a national audience and with him fully rested coming off the offseason, McClure expects James to show the world he is still one of the game's best entering his 22nd NBA season.
Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Timberwolves power forward/center Naz Reid ($4,900 on DraftKings and $5,000 on FanDuel). The 25-year-old averaged career highs in points (13.5 points per game) and rebounds (5.2 rebounds per game) last season. Although the Timberwolves acquired Julius Randle when trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, Reid could see expanded minutes and scoring and rebounding opportunities without the 7-footer in the middle. Reid averaged 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19 games without Towns last season.
The Lakers ranked 22nd in points allowed (116.7 ppg) last season and they return a similar lineup from last year. Reid averaged 25.7 points and seven rebounds over his final three games against the Lakers last season. He shot better than 70% from the floor in two of those contests as his recent success against Los Angeles paired with his cheaper price makes him a strong option for McClure in NBA DFS lineups. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for NBA Opening Night
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 NBA Opening Night? 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.
