Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, April 8th

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2025-04-09 18:53:03 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 Tuesday!

First of all, congratulations to Florida on winning the championship last night. I didn’t have a rooting interest, but two of my favorite people in the industry had skin in the game, as Cameron MacMillan went to Florida, and our own headchopper (David Kaplen) is a huge Houston fan (might have gone there).

We had a baby shower with friends over the weekend, and they did it right. There weren’t any silly games. We had great food, we had some drinks, and then we casually opened presents without everyone watching. More importantly, we received 3 pairs of Jordans for our baby girl, all in different sizes. My friends know me well.

The Masters is officially 2 days away. I will have all of my content up today and will be in the Discord all week chatting it up and answering any questions.

Let’s dive into tonight’s 10-game slate (8-game if you are playing on DraftKings).

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, April 8th

• 10-game main slate on FD, 8-game main slate on DK
  - 7:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Charlotte Hornets
  - 7:00 PM ET – Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
  - 7:30 PM ET – New Orleans Pelicans at Brooklyn Nets
  - 7:30 PM ET – Boston Celtics at New York Knicks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks
  - 8:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 10:00 PM ET – Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns
  - 10:30 PM ET – San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers
• Front end of a back-to-back: Hornets, Bulls, Wizards, Magic, Celtics, Lakers, Thunder, Warriors, Suns, Spurs, Clippers
• Back end of a back-to-back: None
• NBA DFS Optimizer
• NBA Starting Lineups
• NBA Injury Report
• 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

Memphis Grizzlies (at CHA)

We start the slate with the Grizzlies, who are in a 5-way tie for 4th in the West. They have more motivation than most at this point in the season. They draw a mediocre matchup against the Hornets and come into the game with a team total that is nearly identical to their season average. Brandon Clarke has been ruled out.

I’m not prioritizing the stars on the Grizzlies. When Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson are all active, they cut into each other’s usage and fantasy production. The one player with a positive RGValue here is Zach Edey. He played 28 minutes and put up 43 fantasy points in the last game.

Charlotte Hornets (vs. MEM)

The Hornets have nothing to play for, but they do have a nice matchup against the Grizzlies and a team total that is 3 points higher than their season average. LaMelo Ball, Damion Baugh, Josh Green, Tre Mann, Brandon Miller, and Grant Williams have been ruled out.

Even with all of the injuries, there’s not a single player on the Hornets with a positive RGValue. However, I do like the matchup and the fact that the game is at home. Moussa Diabate is only $3,200 on DraftKings and should push for minutes in the 20s. For large-field tournaments, KJ Simpson has topped 35 fantasy points in 2 of his last 4 games.

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

Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!