Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Thursday, December 26th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2024-12-26 23:48:17 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 Thursday!

I hope everyone had the best Christmas imaginable. It was certainly a great one for yours truly. I received a few messages from RG members wishing me a Merry Christmas. One in particular really hit home. The member mentioned how important DFS has been and how much he appreciates reading articles and being a part of the community. In the early days, the community was really what drove me to start DFS content. I loved interacting with everyone, helping them get better at DFS and building relationships.

I miss those days because many just rely on projections and optimizers. Anyway, I loved the message and want to be more involved in the community. Whether it’s DFS-related or you just want to chat, feel free to reach out to me at any time. I’m actually in the process of helping another member build his own PGA DFS model.

We have no break in the action, as the NBA gets right back to it tonight with a 9-game slate. As is the case most nights, FanDuel and DraftKings don’t want to agree on the size of their main slates. DraftKings has left the final 2 games off their main slate.

Let’s dive into the team previews.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, December 26th

• 9-game slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Miami Heat at Orlando Magic
  - 7:00 PM ET – Charlotte Hornets at Washington Wizards
  - 7:00 PM ET – Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:30 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Houston Rockets at New Orleans Pelicans
  - 8:00 PM ET – Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies
  - 10:00 PM ET – Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers
  - 10:00 PM ET – Detroit Pistons at Sacramento Kings
• Front end of a back-to-back: Pacers, Magic, Grizzlies, Nets, Rockets, Pelicans
• Back end of a back-to-back: None
• 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 PrizePicks promo code and Underdog Fantasy promo code, two of the best DFS apps available today.

News Updates

3:30 PM ET – Trey Murphy is now listed as probable.

Team Previews

Miami Heat (at ORL)

We kick the slate off with the Heat, who have some key injuries. Josh Richardson and Dru Smith have been ruled out, Jimmy Butler is doubtful, and Terry Rozier is questionable. A matchup against the Magic is far from ideal, as Orlando is 27th in pace and 6th in points allowed per game. Let’s take a look at who benefits the most with J-Rich, Butler, and Smith off the floor this season:

The projections don’t love the Heat, but I’m willing to take a chance on Jaime Jaquez, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo in tournaments.

Orlando Magic (vs. MIA)

Here is an example of the DFS tables that are provided to our Premium Subscribers

Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!