NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for January 26 include Kyrie Irving

The Los Angeles Clippers have won their last three games and are back in action on Thursday against a Spurs team that just allowed Anthony Davis to score 21 points in his return from a lengthy foot injury on Wednesday. The Clippers have already defeated the Spurs three times this season, and Kawhi Leonard dropped 36 points on them in their most recent meeting last Friday. Norman Powell also scored 26 points off the bench in that game, but which Clippers player can you count on to lead your NBA DFS lineups in Thursday’s late slate of games?

Despite not starting in any game against San Antonio this season, Powell has averaged 21.7 points and hit 68.8% of his 3-pointers in those appearances. Paul George only scored 16 points in his last start against San Antonio, but he picked out 12 assists and should be a top name in the NBA DFS player pool once again after hitting 63.4% from the field and 64.7% from downtown on the Spurs this year. Before you make your NBA DFS picks for Thursday, 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 Wednesday, he highlighted Rockets center Alperen Sengun as one of his top NBA DFS picks on DraftKings and FanDuel. The result: Sengun hung a triple-double on Washington with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in addition to three steals and two blocks to return 62.75 points on DraftKings and 61.2 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 Thursday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Thursday, January 26

One of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks for Thursday is Nets point guard Kyrie Irving who is listed at $10,300 on DraftKings and $10,100 on FanDuel. Irving scored 30 points and had 10 assists with two steals in his last start on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers. He has been in a groove since taking a night off to rest a sore calf last Tuesday and has averaged 36.5 points, eight assists and 6.8 rebounds over his last four starts. 

On Thursday, the Nets host Detroit, who Irving torched in his last start against it earlier this season. In that matchup, he hit 56.5% of his shots and went 5-for-10 from downtown to score 38 points in addition to his six rebounds and three assists. This season, the Pistons have allowed opposing point guards to average the fifth-most assists (9.25) and steals (1.99) per game.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Cleveland forward Evan Mobley ($7,200 on DraftKings and $7,000 on FanDuel). Mobley finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. In his previous start, he put up a career-high 38 points to go with nine rebounds and three assists against Milwaukee on Saturday.

The Cavaliers visit the Rockets on Thursday, and in his single game against them last season, Mobley put up a double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Over its last three games, Houston has only allowed opponents to score 40.7 points in the paint, but over its last five, Houston has allowed opposing forwards to hit 68.9% of their attempts within five feet of the basket. Mobley has made over 80% of his shots at the rim, and nearly three-quarters of his total attempts this season have come within 10 feet of the hoop.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, January 26

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.

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 over $2 million in career winnings, and find out.