Core Plays LIVE: NBA DFS Picks for Tuesday, December 31st

by Derek Farnsworth (Notorious) Last Updated 2024-12-31 20:19:44 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 New Year’s Eve!

It’s funny how much life changes as you get older. This used to be a night that we’d have planned for weeks in advance. It was the biggest party night of the year. I never enjoyed it much in my 20s, as my friends either couldn’t hold their liquor or there was some type of drama within the group. It’s still not my favorite holiday, but I have learned to like it a lot more since having a kid. We usually hang out with friends and their kids, watch the Eastern Time zone ball drop, and be in bed by 11:00 PM my time. I’m even more excited for this year, as it will be me, my girlfriend, and our two boys. We took them to the Jazz game with grandma and grandpa last night and now get a night to ourselves.

I’m not going to lie; 2024 was the best year I’ve ever had on the personal front. I met the love of my life and have never been happier. I’m even more excited for 2025. My little family of two is growing into a family of five. Yes, you read that correctly… a family of five. We are expecting a baby girl in May! I have always wanted another kid and always hoped to have a girl, but I thought that opportunity had passed me by. The news was quite a surprise to us at first, but we can’t wait. The amount of excitement and support we’ve received from friends and family has been incredible. Even better, our two boys can’t wait to be big brothers. Anyway, I just wanted to share the good news.

Now, let’s get back to some basketball. There are 6 games on the schedule today but only 4 games on the main slates for FanDuel and DraftKings. If you are playing the 2-game early slate, I wish you luck and recommend leaning on the projections in LineupHQ. If you are playing the main slate, let’s dive into the game together. The Clippers and Cavaliers are both playing on the second half of a back-to-back, while the Raptors are playing on the front half of a back-to-back.

NBA DFS Picks: Core Plays LIVE for Tuesday, December 31st

• 4-game main slate on FanDuel and DraftKings
  - 3:00 PM ET – Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics
  - 3:00 PM ET – Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers
  - 7:00 PM ET – Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
  - 8:00 PM ET – Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder
  - 9:00 PM ET – Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns
  - 9:00 PM ET – Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers
• Front end of a back-to-back: Raptors
• Back end of a back-to-back: Clippers, Cavaliers
• 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

Los Angeles Clippers (at SAS)

We kick off the New Year’s Eve slate with the Clippers, who are playing their second game in as many nights. They travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs, who are close to the league average in pace, defensive rating, and points allowed per game this season. They have yet to submit an injury report, so I’ll circle back and provide an update when they do. As it stands with everyone currently in the projections, James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Norman Powell all have positive RGValues. Zubac has been on a tear recently, topping 40 fantasy points in 6 straight games. For value, Derrick Jones and Amir Coffey should both push for 25+ minutes.

San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAC)

The Spurs are expected to be at full strength against the Clippers. While playing at home always helps, this is one of the worst possible matchups. This season, Los Angeles is 22nd in pace and 4th in points allowed per game. Devin Vassell is the only player with a positive RGValue in the projections. He has averaged 35 minutes and 36 fantasy points over his last 2 games. Keldon Johnson is priced all the way down to $3,500 on DraftKings despite averaging 0.92 DK / 0.93 FD points per minute this season. Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, and Jeremy Sochan are best suited as large-field tournament plays.

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