The 2026 NBA playoffs roll on Wednesday with a pair of Game 2 matchups. The Pistons vs. Magic is at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Thunder vs. Suns at 9:30 p.m. ET. The NBA DFS player pool is limited as this is the first two-game slate of the postseason, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up with high-quality NBA DFS picks. Paolo Banchero, Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have helped man daily Fantasy basketball players win NBA DFS contests and could do so again on Wednesday.
Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in Game 1, outplaying All-Star Jalen Duren, who had just 8 points and 7 boards. A winning NBA DFS strategy is as much about avoiding highly priced players who underperform as it is about hitting on undervalued players. So, which stars should you bypass in NBA daily Fantasy for Wednesday? Before making any 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 on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel and create optimal lineups that he shares only over at SportsLine. They’re a must-see for any NBA DFS player.
McClure has turned his attention to NBA action on Wednesday and locked in his top daily Fantasy basketball picks. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine.
Top NBA DFS picks for Wednesday, April 22
For Wednesday, one of McClure’s top NBA DFS picks is Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham ($9,800 on DraftKings, $10,000 on FanDuel). Several Pistons had lackluster performances in the Game 1 loss to Orlando, but not Cunningham who had 39 points in 40 minutes. He showed that his lung issue is clearly behind him and continued his strong postseason showings as Cunningham has at least 21 points in all seven of his career playoff games. Also, the Magic have shown they have no answer for him as in four games versus Orlando this season, the former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 34.3 points, 9.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
He’s also building his NBA DFS strategy around Suns PF/C Oso Ighodaro ($4,300 on DraftKings, $4,100 on FanDuel). Phoenix starting center Mark Williams (foot) did not play in Game 1 and is questionable for Game 2. The second-year Ighodaro has made the most of extended playing time, averaging 11 points on 72% shooting, to go along with 6.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals in the nine games he’s played 30-plus minutes this season. He’s one of those low-cost but potentially high-ceiling players that also gives you the bonus of being able to roster more expensive options when you slot Ighodaro into NBA DFS lineups. See McClure’s other NBA DFS picks right here.
How to set your NBA DFS lineups for April 22
McClure is also targeting a player who could go off for massive numbers on Wednesday because of an optimal 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 Wednesday? 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.
