NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for March 17 include Joel Embiid

It was a light night of scoring on Thursday’s NBA schedule as no single player scored more than 30 points. But with a more robust NBA DFS player pool on Friday with the likes of Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard in action, expect the 30-point threshold to be surpassed. But with the high potency that these players bring to NBA DFS lineups also comes high price tags on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.

Those costs have to be offset to comply with your NBA DFS salary cap, so bargains are a must. Perhaps someone like Malaki Branham of the Spurs would be a value option after the rookie dropped 20 points on Wednesday? Before making any NBA DFS picks for Friday, 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 over $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.

On Thursday, McClure highlighted Suns forward Josh Okogie as one of his top NBA DFS picks. The result: Okogie produced 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, returning 38 points on DraftKings and 41.8 points on FanDuel. Anybody that included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Friday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, March 17

One of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks for Friday is 76ers center Joel Embiid ($11,400 on DraftKings and $12,000 on FanDuel). Embiid is now the favorite to win the NBA MVP award after dropping 36 points to go along with 18 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in a Wednesday win over Cleveland. The center has eclipsed 30 points in each of his last seven games, averaging 36.6 points on over 60% shooting during that stretch.

Embiid should only further bolster his MVP case on Friday as the Sixers visit the Hornets. Charlotte was destroyed by the big man when the two last met, as Embiid had 53 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in just 34 minutes in a December contest. The six-time All-Star has scored at least 29 points in his last five games against Charlotte and is averaging 37.6 PPG during this span.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Grizzlies point guard Tyus Jones ($6,700 on both DraftKings and on FanDuel). Jones has three double-doubles across the last six games while starting in place of Ja Morant. Jones is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals over this stretch.

Jones and Memphis take on San Antonio’s 30th ranked defense on Friday, and the former Duke Blue Devil has already achieved success against the Spurs this season. In a January game in which Morant did not play, Jones had 24 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals. He also scored in double-figures in two other games this year versus the Spurs — while coming off the bench in both — so a starter’s share of minutes makes Jones a must-start.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, March 17

McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Friday 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 Friday? 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.