NBA DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy basketball picks for Thursday, Dec. 21 include DeMar DeRozan

SportsLine's Mike McClure, a daily Fantasy pro with more than $2 million in winnings, gives optimal NBA DFS lineup advice

The 2023-24 NBA season continues on Thursday with eight games on the schedule, and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant returns to action fresh off an incredible season debut on Tuesday. Morant started sluggishly in his first game after serving a 25-game suspension but finished with 34 points, eight assists and six rebounds while also hitting the game-winner against the Pelicans. Morant is priced at $9,500 on DraftKings and $9,800 on FanDuel and is sure to be one of the most popular options in the NBA DFS player pool on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off his second triple-double of the season on Tuesday and is priced at $11,000 on DraftKings and $12,200 on FanDuel. So how much exposure should you have to those superstars in your NBA DFS lineups, and what other value plays are available to help you afford those big and expensive names? Before making your NBA DFS picks, 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 Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan as one of his top picks in his NBA DFS player pool on both sites. The result: DeRozan had 27 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, a block and a steal, returning 51.75 points on DraftKings and 51.9 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 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, December 21

For Thursday, one of McClure's top NBA DFS picks is Spurs PG/SF Jeremy Sochan, who is listed at $5,600 on DraftKings and $5,900 on FanDuel. Wearing the No. 10 and with dyed hair that further pays homage to former Spurs star Dennis Rodman, Sochan is carving out a little-bit-of-everything role for himself in San Antonio.

He's averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season and is coming off a 9-11-8 performance against the Bucks on Tuesday. Sochan has produced eight games this season with at least 30 points on both sites, and he's a high-upside play on Thursday with the Bulls playing the second leg of a back-to-back.

Another part of McClure's optimal NBA DFS strategy includes rostering DeRozan again ($8,400 on DraftKings and $8,100 on FanDuel). The veteran is coming off a huge night on Wednesday and is now averaging 22.4 points, 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds for the streaking Bulls as they head into a matchup with the league's 27th-ranked scoring defense.

DeRozan got off to a sluggish start this season but is averaging 24.4 points, 6.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds in the month of December. He also put up 20 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals in a matchup with San Antonio a few weeks ago, securing 49 points on DraftKings and 49.2 points on FanDuel. See McClure's other NBA DFS picks right here.

How to set your NBA DFS lineups for Thursday, December 21

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.