Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Thursday, February 20th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-02-20 23:11:22 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 enjoyed the break and is ready to return to the NBA DFS streets tonight. I soaked up the break. I spent time with friends and family and did as many projects around the house as possible. We spent a few hours yesterday looking for a new couch. We went to four furniture stores and sat on at least 100 different couches. It’s wild how different couches are and how many we didn’t like. We finally found the one we wanted only for the sales clerk to pull out a literal wagon full of different fabrics that the couch was available in at no extra charge. And then another wagon full of different fabrics for the pillows.

We also visited what felt like the world’s largest Costco in downtown Salt Lake City. Do you know how a usual Costco has a loop that everyone takes? You go up one side, you make your way across, and then come back to the front on the other side? Well, this Costco was a business center, and it had two of the big U-shaped aisles. I love Costco as much as just about anyone, but it was almost too much for me. They had an entire aisle dedicated to Red Bull alone.

Anyway, I hope your time off was as exciting as mine. We are back at it with a 9-game NBA slate. The Hornets and Lakers are playing on the back end of a back-to-back, while the Grizzlies, Magic, Cavaliers, Knicks, Bucks, and Spurs are playing on the front half of a back-to-back. Let’s dive into the slate!

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, February 20th

• 9-game main slate
  - 7:00 PM ET – Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:30 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets
  - 7:30 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
  - 7:30 PM ET – Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 9:00 PM ET – Charlotte Hornets at Denver Nuggets
  - 9:30 PM ET – Phoenix Suns at San Antonio Spurs
  - 10:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers
• Front end of a back-to-back: Grizzlies, Magic, Cavaliers, Knicks, Bucks, Spurs
• Back end of a back-to-back: Hornets, Lakers
• 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

2:00 PM ET

We have some brutal news from the Spurs — Victor Wembanyama is set to miss the rest of the season. For the Clippers, Norman Powell is listed as questionable.

Team Previews

Boston Celtics (at PHI)

We kick off the slate with the Celtics, who are currently 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings. They should have everyone available against the Sixers, who are 27th in pace, 30th in rebounding rate, and 23rd in defensive rating. The Celtics are sizable favorites but have a team total that is 2 points lower than their season average. With a pace-down matchup and everyone healthy, there’s not a single player on the roster with a positive RGValue. I would only look to the Celtics if you are building 5+ lineups.

Philadelphia 76ers (vs. BOS)

The Sixers have had an injury-plagued season and wouldn’t make the playoffs if the regular season ended today. Kyle Lowry, Jared McCain, and Eric Gordon are all still out against the Celtics, who are one of the worst matchups for fantasy production. Joel Embiid is the only player on my radar from the Sixers, and he’s more of a large-field tournament play. I will note that he’s topped 36 minutes in 2 of his last 4 games and is capable of scoring 60+ fantasy points at low projected ownership.

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