© Provided by CBS Sports Through his second NBA season, Zion Williamson has been everything the New Orleans Pelicans, and the NBA, could have hoped for. He ranks in the top 10 in the NBA in both points (26.9 per game) and field goal percentage (61.7 percent) this season. Williamson has been a regular piece for NBA DFS lineups. And even though his team is slipping out of the playoff picture, he still brings it on a nightly basis and fills up the stat sheet. Williamson will again be one of the top NBA DFS picks for Thursday as New Orleans battles the struggling Orlando Magic.
Williamson ($9,900 on DraftKings, $9,800 on FanDuel) is among the most expensive players at his position on both sites, so rostering him in your NBA DFS lineups means you'll need to look for value elsewhere. There are just six NBA games on Thursday and many of the top players are injured or questionable to play, so you'll need an effective NBA DFS strategy to pick out the optimal lineup. Before locking in any NBA DFS picks for Thursday's action, be sure to see the NBA DFS advice, player rankings and top daily Fantasy basketball picks from SportsLine's Mike McClure.
McClure is a DFS professional with nearly $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 and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They're a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
And on Wednesday, McClure included Nets guard Kyrie Irving as one of his top picks. The result: Irving went off for 28 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, producing over 62 points on DraftKings which is his most this season. Anybody who had him in their lineup was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, McClure has turned his attention to the Thursday, April 22 NBA DFS slate and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Video: Kevin Huerter's extended minutes gives him upside (Yahoo! Sports)
Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, April 22
One of McClure's top NBA DFS picks for Thursday is Bulls guard Coby White at $5,500 on DraftKings and $5,800 on FanDuel. An All-Rookie Team selection last year, White is averaging 14.4 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in his sophomore season.
He's been receiving more playing time as of late as the Bulls are without leading scorer Zach LaVine (health and safety protocols). LaVine will be out again on Thursday and White will be starting in his absence. White has been a totally different player when in the starting lineup as he's averaging 16.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds as a starter compared to 9.7 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds when coming off the bench. On Thursday he'll face a Hornets team in which White posted 18 points and eight assists against when they last played in January.
Part of McClure's NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Hornets guard Terry Rozier ($8,400 on DraftKings, $7,800 on FanDuel), who is averaging 26.0 points, 9.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds per game over his last four contests. Rozier has made the most out of injuries to LaMelo Ball (wrist) and Gordon Hayward (foot) with increased playing time and increased production. He is averaging 38.0 minutes per game over his last nine games and should see similar playing time vs. the Bulls.
Now in his sixth NBA season, and second with Charlotte, Rozier is averaging a career-high of 20.7 points per game. He's become a marksman from beyond the arc and has knocked down 182 3-point field goals, which ranks sixth in the league. Rozier can go off in any game as he has two games with over 40 points this season while having another six contests with over 30 points. He will get the struggling Bulls on Thursday who just allowed 25 points to the opposing team's point guard in their last game, so you can see why McClure likes Rozier as one of the top NBA DFS picks.
How to set NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, April 22
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Thursday 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.
So who is DFS pro Mike McClure putting in 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 almost $2 million in career winnings, and find out.