NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Thursday, Oct. 26 include Joel Embiid

Shockwaves were sent throughout the NBA when news broke that Damian Lillard was being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. The seven-time All-Star getting moved wasn’t a surprise, but the location was as Lillard made it clear his preference was to play for the Miami Heat. Now fans will have the first chance to see Lillard in his new home — and the first opportunity to roster him as a Buck in NBA DFS lineups — when Milwaukee hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Lillard averaged 32.3 points per game, the third-most in the NBA, last season. He was the clear No. 1 option in Portland but now that he’s running alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was the fifth-leading scorer last year, how should this affect forming an NBA DFS strategy? The Thursday NBA DFS player pool also includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, while Devin Booker (foot) and Bradley Beal (back) are doubtful. Who should you include in NBA DFS lineups? Before making 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 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 and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.

On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Bane had 31 points with five rebounds and five assists, returning 52.25 points on DraftKings and 51.5 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

McClure has turned his attention to the beginning of the 2023-24 NBA season 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, October 26

For Thursday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is 76ers center Embiid, who is listed at $10,300 on DraftKings and $11,200 on FanDuel. Embiid is coming off his coveted NBA MVP award last season after leading the league in scoring (33.1 PPG) while adding 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in a 54-win season.

Embiid is among the favorites to win MVP again this season, along with Antetokounmpo as the two will go head-to-head to open up their 2023-24 NBA seasons. Embiid is averaging 29.5 points and 11 rebounds over his last six games against the Bucks, scoring at least 28 points in each of the last three matchups. With James Harden out as he and the 76ers continue to deal with strains in their relationship, expect a huge usage out of Embiid, making him worthy of a hefty price tag is his first regular-season game since winning the NBA MVP. 

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes Suns guard Jordan Goodwin ($3,200 on DraftKings and $3,600 FanDuel). Thursday’s NBA DFS player pool is filled with some of the biggest names in the league, so in order to include them in NBA DFS lineups, you’ll need to have some cheaper options that can outperform their price tags. Goodwin contributes in all areas of the stat sheet and had four rebounds, three assists, two points and a steal over 14 minutes in Tuesday’s season opener.

Goodwin, entering his second full NBA season, could see an increased role on Thursday with Booker and Beal doubtful. The 25-year-old averaged 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in games he played at least 20 minutes last season, and given the Suns’ early injury woes, he could find himself on the floor often. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, October 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.