Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Thursday, January 2nd

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-01-02 23:41:58 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! Although, it’s a not-so-happy Thursday for me.

Do you remember Michael Jordan’s flu game? I woke up at 3:00 AM last night and haven’t stopped throwing up since. Add on some painful chills and body aches, and we have ourselves a brutal recipe. I’m still going to power through, but the analysis might be a little more to the point in today’s article. We have 6 games on the slate, and 3 teams are playing on the second half of a back-to-back — the Heat, Nets, and Sixers. Let’s dive into the team previews.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Thursday, January 2nd

• 6-game main slate
  - 7:30 PM ET – Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves
  - 7:30 PM ET – Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat
  - 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 8:00 PM ET – Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 10:00 PM ET – Philadelphia 76ers at Golden State Warriors
  - 10:30 PM ET – Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers
• Front end of a back-to-back: Celtics, Thunder, Lakers
• Back end of a back-to-back: Heat, Nets, Sixers
• 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

This section will be updated as injury news is released throughout the day.

Team Previews

Boston Celtics (at MIN)

The Celtics are playing on the first half of a back-to-back. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are both listed as questionable. The team has a difficult matchup on the road against the Wolves and have a team total that is 8 points lower than their season average. There’s currently not a single player with a positive RGValue in the projections, but that will obviously change if Brown and/or Porzingis sit.

Minnesota Timberwolves (vs. BOS)

The Wolves are usually one of my least favorite teams to see on the schedule. They play at a slow pace, they have a deep rotation, and they are inconsistent. To make matters worse, they have a difficult matchup against the Celtics, who are 8th in points allowed per game. With all of their key players expected to be active, there’s nothing that stands out in the projections. Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid are reasonable value plays for large-field tournaments.

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