NBA DFS: LeBron James and top FanDuel, DraftKings daily Fantasy basketball picks for Feb. 25, 2022

Jalen Suggs hasn’t been as consistent or productive as the Orlando Magic’s second first-round selection, Franz Wagner, but he has shown signs of improvement since coming back from a thumb injury that caused him to miss 19 games. Over his last three starts before the All-Star break, Suggs only shot 37.5 percent from the field but averaged 18.3 points with 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds. The question for daily Fantasy players on Friday is whether or not he can continue to overcome his inefficiency to produce for NBA DFS lineups.

The Magic resume play at home on Friday against the hapless Houston Rockets, but is Suggs worth targeting in NBA DFS player pools on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel? Suggs has scored at least 14 points in 10 of his 17 games since returning from injury, had at least five assists 11 times, and has had 25 total steals during that stretch. Before you make your 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 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.

On Thursday, McClure listed Suns guard Devin Booker and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as two of his top NBA DFS picks on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Both players finished as the top players at their respective positions and scored over 60 points apiece on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Anybody that included them in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, McClure has turned his attention to the Friday, February 25, NBA DFS slate and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.

Top NBA DFS picks for Friday, February 25

One of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks for Friday is Lakers superstar LeBron James, who is listed at $10,600 on DraftKings and $10,700 on FanDuel. The Lakers are back in action for the first time since the All-Star break, but James went into it on a roll and looks to continue his strong play following a solid All-Star Game performance. In his five starts before the break, James averaged 29 points, 9.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

The Lakers get back into things on Friday against the Clippers, who they face for just the second time this season. In the first meeting between the two, James finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. With starters Anthony Davis (foot), and Avery Bradley (knee) both out for the game, James will once again be the focal point of the offense for the Lakers.

Another part of McClure’s optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering Magic center Mo Bamba ($4,500 on both DraftKings and FanDuel). Bamba has generally underwhelmed since being drafted sixth overall in 2018, but he’s flashed in moments this season. He went into the All-Star break with an 11-point, nine-rebound performance against the Atlanta Hawks, but had a better overall performance when the Magic played the Rockets earlier this year.

In that matchup, he finished with 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Part of his offense came from draining 2-of-3 three-pointers, which he likes taking when he’s left open beyond the arc. In its final three games before the break, Houston’s opponents hit 43.4 percent of their three-point attempts. The Rockets also continue to be one of the most frequently blocked teams in the league as well, at 5.8 times per contest, which makes the lanky Bamba a prime candidate to reach the high-end of his potential on Friday.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Friday, February 25

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.

So 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 almost $2 million in career winnings, and find out.