Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Monday, February 3rd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-02-03 23:32:24 Premium Content Part of the product NBA DFS

A daily fantasy sports OG, Notorious has been roaming the DFS streets ever since they were invented. He has racked up multiple live final seats and several six-figure tournament wins in his DFS career and has long been one of the top NBA DFS minds in the industry. On weekends, Taylor Smith takes the reins. Their Core Plays LIVE article will zoom out on the slate as a whole, zoom in on the best NBA DFS picks, and constantly update as news breaks. Whether you are diving into the slate 5 hours before it starts or 5 minutes before it starts, Core Plays LIVE has everything you need for your DraftKings and FanDuel lineups.

Happy Monday!

It’s Super Bowl week, but we have a busy NBA schedule. There are at least 6 games every day this week. The big news over the weekend was the late-night trade between the Mavericks and Lakers. I was about to go to bed when I saw the news on Twitter. In the moment, everyone thought Shams’ account had been hacked. I still haven’t seen a good reason why the Mavericks made the move. They traded their 25-year-old superstar who loved the city for a 31-year-old aging superstar. I have nothing against AD, but the Lakers were the clear winners of the trade. Naturally, Danny Ainge had to get in there and secure a couple of draft picks for the Jazz.

We also had a 3-team trade between the Spurs, Kings, and Bulls. De’Aaron Fox is on his way to play with Victor Wembanyama, while Zach LaVine is headed to the Kings. The Bulls received a few veterans and got their 2025 pick back from the Spurs.

As for tonight, FanDuel is rolling out a 10-game main slate, and DraftKings is rolling out an 8-game main slate. The Pistons, Grizzlies, and Bucks are all playing on the second half of a back-to-back, while the Rockets, Knicks, Pacers, and Blazers are all playing on the front half of a back-to-back.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Monday, February 3rd

• 10-game slate on FD, 8-game slate on DK
  - 7:00 PM ET – Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons
  - 7:00 PM ET – Washington Wizards at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:30 PM ET – Houston Rockets at New York Knicks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Sacramento Kings at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 8:00 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 8:00 PM ET – San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 9:00 PM ET – Indiana Pacers at Utah Jazz
  - 9:00 PM ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Denver Nuggets
  - 10:00 PM ET – Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers
  - 10:00 PM ET – Orlando Magic at Golden State Warriors
• Front end of a back-to-back: Rockets, Knicks, Pacers, Blazers
• Back end of a back-to-back: Pistons, Grizzlies, Bucks
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA DFS Injury Report: The Situation Room
• Scroll to FanDuel and DraftKings Rankings & Core Plays

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog Fantasy promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

News Updates

Atlanta Hawks (at DET)

The Hawks have a mediocre matchup on the road against the Pistons and come into the game with a team total that is close to their season average. Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Jalen Johnson have all been ruled out. It’s early, but there’s not much that stands out on the projections front. Onyeka Okongwu has a positive RGValue but has been held under 35 fantasy points in 4 straight games. Unless another key player is a late scratch, the Hawks will be an easy team to avoid in cash games and small-field tournaments.

Detroit Pistons (vs. ATL)

The Pistons have an elite matchup at home against the Hawks and come into the game with a team total that is 7 points higher than their season average. They are playing on the second half of a back-to-back and have yet to submit an injury report. Jaden Ivey is still out, but we’ll have to wait and see if anyone else is added to the injury report. Cade Cunningham has scored at least 54 fantasy points in 6 of his last 7 games and is one of the top spends on the slate. Jalen Duren is playing some of his best basketball of the season, averaging over 40 fantasy points in his last 4 games. He should be able to feast on a shorthanded Hawks’ frontcourt. Malik Beasley and Isaiah Stewart ($3,000 on DraftKings) are decent value plays to round out your lineups with.

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